CRISIS, what crisis?

Heroic Huddersfield Giants produced an incredible opening Super League XVII performance to defy all the odds.

With seven front-line players missing, coach Nathan Brown’s men were given little hope of beating full-strength Wigan at the DW Stadium. It was as if ‘damage limitation’ was the sole mission.

But all the talk that the Giants’ patched-up side would be overwhelmed by the Challenge Cup holders never materialised as the 17 brave battlers worked together as if their lives depended on it.

At the end of an absorbing 80 minutes, Huddersfield were celebrating a 20-16 triumph that no-one could say they didn’t deserve.

Yet even though they were lacking the services of seven front-line players, the Giants were still able to field a relatively strong-looking line-up.

The surprise starter was young forward Jacob Fairbank, who spent last season on loan with Halifax in the Co-operative Championship, at prop, with fellow youngster and front-rower Adam Walker named on the bench.

There was also a substitute spot for Larne Patrick, who proved his fitness at the end of the week after recovering from a broken wrist which had forced him to miss a large chunk of pre-season training.

But with starting front-rowers Fairbank and Eorl Crabtree lasting for the full opening 40 minutes, it wasn't until the second half that Patrick was introduced – and to devastating effect with his two-try blitz in the space of seven unforgettable minutes.

And it was right to keep Fairbank and Crabtree on the field after they had produced a monumental effort that summed up Huddersfield's performance through that incredibly-encouraging first half.

Although the visitors were placed under enormous pressure early on, their defensive effort was magnificent and they thoroughly deserved their 8-6 interval advantage. The more they stifled the Warriors’ attack, the more the Giants’ confidence grew.

With acting captain Luke Robinson prompting and probing at dummy half, Huddersfield’s threat slowly began to increase, and midway through the half they struck the first blow of the contest.