Huddersfield Giants head coach Rick Stone is likely to look to his final warm-up game at Workington Town before making his final decisions going into the new Super League season.
The Giants, who travel to Derwent Park on Saturday (3pm), were beaten 26-22 at Super League rivals Wakefield Trinity in their second pre-season friendly in a tight encounter where full-back Jake Mamo, playmaker Ryan Hinchcliffe, Tonga international Ukuma Ta’ai, utility back Lee Gaskell and centre Jordan Turner were all making their first 2018 appearances.
However, that still leaves the likes of last season’s club player of the season prop Sebastine Ikahihifo, Australian second rower Tom Symonds, who is coming back after knee surgery, and hooker Kruise Leeming, who has had a muscle problem, are all still to have a run out in a warm-up game ahead of the new Super League season.
“It could be the case that there will be a few first teamers involved at Workington,” said Stone, whose side open their campaign at Hull FC on Thursday, February 1.
“Ideally I would like to get all my forwards to have the best part of two games before we start the Super League competition.
“The Wakefield game was good and got a number of players some game time, but we will have to see what we need before the season starts.”
The contest at Belle Vue certainly provided some pointers as to where both teams are going to be strong on attack, but on a cold night tries were conceded that would have been harder earned in a Super League fixture.
However, it was an entertaining contest that was nip and tuck throughout – though the final 17 minutes passed without a score as the plummeting temperatures made handling the ball something of a trial for both teams.
It was a tight start too and the first genuine scoring chance came after 13 minutes when Giants winger Gene Ormsby was bundled into touch a yard short of the line.
Just three minutes later Ormsby was involved again as he mae a good break and Mamo, who looked instantly at his best on his return after a long lay-off with an ankle injury, supported on the outside and scored in the corner.
Danny Brough could not add the goal against his former club and the see-saw nature of the contest kicked in when Ben Jones-Bishop bagged Trinity’s first try and Liam Finn’s goal handed the home side the lead.
Finn was on target again with his kick after his Ireland international teammate and former Giants full-back Scott Grix plundered Wakefield’s second touchdown, but back came the visitors and Ta’ai, with his first touch after coming on as a replacement, piled over the line and Brough’s kick pulled the Giants to two points adrift.
Jones-Bishop notched his second try three minutes before half-time, but Finn failed with the kick and the Giants were on terms at the interval as a Jordan Rankin kick through was chased down by Gaskell to score and Brough landed the goal.
Level scores in the most even of contests, but the pattern began to change in the second period as changes by both teams, and the decidedly cold conditions began to take their toll on the entertainment value of what was a very decent local derby.
Five minutes into the second period Wakefield regained the lead as Giants struggled to cover a spate of attacks and the pressure told as Matty Ashurst went over and the impressive Grix added to his tally with the goal.
The Giants were back on terms again on 53 minutes as Gaskell launched a kick and Jordan Turner was stunningly better at leaping than those around him to claim the ball and touch down.
Brough’s goal tied it all up again, but the final and decisive score arrived on 63 minutes.
Wakefield again applied pressure on the flank and Grix was able to power over the line, though his touchline kick was off the mark.
As the Giants head for Cumbria, Trinity are set for some time under the sun in Lanzarote, but both know that there is still plenty of work to be done ahead of the Super League start.
Wakefield Trinity: Scott Grix; Ben Jones-Bishop, Reece Lyne, Bill Tupou, Tom Johnstone; Jacob Miller, Liam Finn; David Fafita, Kyle Wood, Anthony England, Matty Ashurst, Danny Kirmond, Jordan Crowther
Subs: Max Jowitt, Ryan Hampshire, Chris Annakin, Keegan Hirst, Joe Arundel, Jordan Baldwinstone, Mason Caton-Brown, Tinirau Arona, Pauli Pauli
Huddersfield Giants: Jake Mamo; Gene Ormsby, Lee Gaskell, Jordan Turner, Aaron Murphy; Jordan Rankin, Danny Brough; Adam Walne, Adam O’Brien, Paul Clough, Michael Lawrence, Oliver Roberts, Ryan Hinchcliffe.
Subs: Dale Ferguson, Daniel Smith, Ukuma Tai’ai, Sam Wood, Colton Roche, Tyler Dickinson, Jacob Wardle, Louis Senior, Matty English.
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
