For the second home game on the trot, the Huddersfield Giants drew a Super League game.
But in contrast to a fortnight ago when they were held 24-24 by Hull KR, the 12-12 draw against in-form Leeds Rhinos was far easier to accept.
As well as coach Paul Anderson’s men not throwing away a match winning lead, they got back to producing the sort of qualities that brought them the Super League Leaders Shield last season.
To be honest, the Giants could count themselves unlucky not to have won this game, particularly as they created more chances than their opponents and had several tries chalked off by the match officials.
But such was the improvement from last week’s 22-20 defeat at Widnes Vikings, this wasn’t really a night for too many mutterings.
The Giants could certainly count themselves unlucky to be trailing 6-4 at the break. After a shaky start when they conceded a sixth-minute Stevie Ward try, converted by Kevin Sinfield, on the back of a couple of basic errors, Huddersfield created far more chances.
It took the hosts 31 minutes to finally open their account when half back Luke Robinson, Brett Ferres, Scott Grix and Joe Wardle combined superbly to send in Jodie Broughton for a try on his debut, although too far out for Danny Brough to convert.
But before then, the Giants crossed the try-line three times, but had their efforts ruled out by the match officials.
Disallowed effort No1 came after 10 minutes when video referees Richard Silverwood and Steve Ganson judged there had been an obstruction in the build-up to Grix’s ‘score’ after he smartly finished off a Jason Chan break.
Then seven minutes later Wardle’s effort was chalked off after referee James Child ruled Brough’s long, try-scoring pass was forward.
And the unfortunate Wardle was again denied after a five-minute video refereeing conference.
Wardle and Kallum Watkins contested a Brough ‘bomb’ on the last tackle, the Leeds centre knocked the ball forward and Wardle got the vital touch – although it was ruled he had a foot out of play before applying the vital pressure.
At that point it looked as if this just wasn’t going to be the Giants’ day.
But Broughton’s 31st-minute try suggested that may not be the case after all, although the sense of frustration did continue when Brough sent a 40 metre penalty just wide on the stroke of half-time.
The second half started on another note of bitter disappointment.
Nine minutes after the restart, Broughton was forced to leave the field with a knee injury.
Then seconds later, the Giants had a third try disallowed by the video referee when Jermaine McGillvary was denied.
He grounded the ball, but only after the Giants were penalised for obstruction in the contesting of Brough’s high kick in the build-up.
But Huddersfield did draw level four minutes later with Brough’s penalty after Robinson had been caught high.
Child’s decision to award Leeds a couple of cheap penalties enabled the Rhinos to nudge two points ahead again in the 65th minute with Sinfield’s straight-forward two-pointer.
But with 11 minutes remaining, the Giants hit the front for the first time - as Wardle finally saw a video refereeing decision finally go his way.
Great work by Robinson helped keep play alive deep inside Leeds territory and the ball was fed left for Brough’s wonderful long cut-out pass to find Wardle to finish strongly in the corner.
Brough add a superb touchline conversion, and the Giants were 12-8 ahead.
But within four minutes, the Rhinos were back on level terms as the ball was kept alive for Kallum Watkins to finish in the corner, with Sinfield failing to add the extras.
In the tensest of finales, Sinfield and Danny McGuire both failed with ambitious drop-goal attempts before Sinfield then saw a second drop goal come back off a post with 100 seconds remaining.
Brough then had two one-pointers of his own failing to hit the target in the final 50 seconds to round off the most thrilling of contests.
That's more like it: Huddersfield Giants boss pleased with performance despite result against Leeds Rhinos - click here to read
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