Delighted Kieron Purtill has praised the Giants’ battling spirit which helped them secure a vitally-important 14-12 triumph at Catalans Dragons.

It was a win which means a home win over Wakefield next Sunday will guarantee Huddersfield a top-four Super League finish at the end of the regular season.

That will also give them extra momentum when the Super 8s get under way.

And Giants No2 Purtill, who took charge of the side in the absence of head coach Paul Anderson because of a close family illness, couldn’t have been happier about the win.

“Any win in the South of France is a fantastic win, but in the wider context of the competition, it’s even more significant this time around,” said Purtill.

“Our top-four destiny in now well and truly in our own hands. We beat Wakefield next week and we’re in the four, it’s as simple as that.

“And it’s victories like this one in Perpignan are the reason why we deserve to be there.

“We did have to overcome a fair bit of adversity to win. We lost Brett Ferres (arm) and Kyle Wood (ankle) in the first half – they’ll be checked out by our medics first thing Monday morning – and the conditions were really testing for both sides, with the humidity making the ball incredibly greasy.

“But we didn’t let that affect us at all.

“We showed a willingness from start to finish to work hard for each other, with our defensive resolve proving crucial.

“We were also helped along the way by our travelling army of supporters (well over 500 made the trip to Perpignan) who really played their part in getting us home in that second half.

See Giants fans partying in France below.

“Straight after the game the boys were all going on about how fantastic they were, and the difference they made. They were brilliant, and it was great they could be there to celebrate such a big win for us.”

The match also marked the debut off the bench of prop Daniel Smith, who joined the Giants from Wakefield on a four-and-half-year deal last Monday.

He immediately made his presence felt down the middle, with Purtill keen to sing his praises.

Huddersfield Giants signing Daniel Smith

“Daniel really contributed, as did everyone else, to be honest,” added the Giants assistant coach.

“But to say he’d only had a week’s training with us and had to play big minutes, it was a really good start for him.

“Coming out to France with the rest of the squad is probably the best thing that could have happened to him, because it’s given him the chance to know everyone and for everyone to know him.

“As a result, he looked comfortable out there and fitted in well.

“To be fair, I thought all our big fellas were good down the middle.

“That was always going to be key to securing such a battling win.”