Heroic Huddersfield Giants took a monumental step towards lifting the League Leaders Shield with a vital 30-12 triumph at second-placed Wigan Warriors.

And it was a victory that was thoroughly deserved, with coach Paul Anderson’s brave battlers dominating from start to finish.

The incredibly-significant result means Huddersfield are now three points clear of Wigan and of Warrington, although the latter have their weekend home game against Wakefield in hand.

But last night’s success also means wins at London Broncos next Saturday, at home to Wakefield two weeks later and at Bradford Bulls on the final day of the season will give the Giants their first piece of Super League silverware.

And after the way they bossed this contest at the DW Stadium, no-one could argue the Shield would be theirs on merit.

All 17 made massive contributions, with full-back Scott Grix leading by example with one of his most inspirational displays in a Huddersfield shirt, and all his teammates around him followed suit.

Despite being the better side throughout the first half, the Giants were unable to take advantage and were held at 12-12 at the interval.

The start the visitors made to the contest couldn’t have been much worse, suggesting the Giants may again be about to suffer a painful freeze on the big stage.

Although Scott Grix produced great defensive work to hold up Harrison Hansen over the line in the third minute, it only delayed the inevitable.

From the subsequent play on the sixth tackle, Blake Green launched a high kick to the corner for Josh Charnley to leap the highest and pat the ball back for Sam Powell to touch down.

Pat Richards landed the conversion and Huddersfield’s worst nightmare had been realised.

But their response couldn’t have been better.

Only superb tracking back from Charnley denied Danny Brough after a 50m break before rock-solid goal-line defence prevented Joe Wardle from breaking through.

It was no surprise, therefore, when the Giants drew level after 15 minutes when Brough’s delightful kick to the corner was collected with ease by Aaron Murphy to touch down.

Brough’s conversion levelled the scores, and only some more dogged Warriors defence prevented Larne Patrick and Shaun Lunt from putting the visitors ahead.

So it was totally against the run of play when the hosts regained the lead after 28 minutes when Charnley produced a moment of magic to collect 40m out and turn the covering Huddersfield defence inside out in a run to the line of pure class. Again Richards goaled.

But again the Giants response couldn’t have been more clinical.

After forcing an error close to their opponents’ line, the position was created for Luke Robinson to take the ball to the line and feed the returning Jason Chan to mark his first game in three months following a bicep tear by strolling over for another converted score.

At 12-12 at half-time the game was beautifully poised.

But the Giants made their intentions crystal clear with a blistering start to the second period and hit the front for the first time in the 42nd minute when Robinson’s short ball close to the line sent Brett Ferres crashing over.

Brough failed to convert and then saw a penalty attempt shoot wide minutes later.

But the visitors extended their lead in the 58th minute when the Giants kept the ball alive on the sixth tackle and the impressive Grix kicked ahead and followed up to touch down in the corner for Brough to add a superb touchline conversion to make it 22-12.

And the Giants were entering dreamland with 13 minutes remaining when the ball was worked out to the left for Murphy to step through and show great strength to finish off.

Top-drawer defence was then called upon to halt Blake Green on the line before Brough extended the lead to 18 points to wrap up the most significant win in Huddersfield Giants’ Super League history.