Huddersfield Giants coach Rick Stone believes his players produced a fitting tribute to the late Jennifer Davy as they stunned Leeds 31-12 at Headingley.
The Giants players wore armbands in memory of the wife of club owner Ken Davy who died suddenly on Wednesday.
Despite being well below strength and reeling from a humiliating Challenge Cup defeat by part-timers Swinton only five days earlier, Huddersfield were full of spirit and Stone put a lot of that down to the emotion of the occasion.
“I think everyone can feel a little bit proud of the club,” Stone said. “We’ve not had a lot to cheer about in the last couple of weeks.
“It probably has been emotional, particularly for those boys who have been at the club for a while. They understand Jennifer’s influence on Ken and how he got initially involved in the Giants, she being a Huddersfield girl and a rugby league fan.
“That’s how it all started a long time ago, such a classy lady and a classy couple.
“It was good to see the boys show that sort of emotion and courage and desire.
“It’s a bit disappointing at times to think that something like that needs to happen but tonight we can be proud of our efforts.”
The scores were locked at 12-12 at half-time but Huddersfield seized control with two tries in five minutes from Dale Ferguson and Darnell McIntosh before a late touchdown from Oliver Roberts put the seal on a first win in 10 matches.
“We definitely stood up and competed hard for the whole 80 minutes,” said Stone, who believed the kicking game of skipper Danny Brough was crucial in wet conditions.
“The conditions probably suited us. Any time you’ve got Broughy in those conditions it helps.
“We had more intent in our defence, that was the main thing. We forced Leeds into a few errors and that sucked the juice out of them in the second half.
“It was good to see a happy dressing room for a change. It’s up to the boys to realise if that’s the yardstick, they have to produce that effort every week.”
England manager Gareth Southgate, opting for Headingley rather than the Etihad as a guest of the Rhinos Foundation, was among the vast majority of the 13,169 crowd who anticipated a routine win for Leeds that would have taken them top of the Betfred Super League.
They had the early encouragement of a try from hooker Matt Parcell but did not deserve to get anything from the game, according to coach Brian McDermott, a former Giants coach.
“I give Huddersfield a lot of credit because I thought they were tenacious and showed a lot of endeavour but I don’t think it was a great game and I don’t think they played particularly well,” he said.
“They didn’t play us off the field and I thought we were really poor.
“However, Huddersfield absolutely deserved the win but I wouldn’t put it down to a great performance.
“Some of their goal-line defence in the second half got them their win, while we trying to invent plays and pretty much running up our own backside.”
Leeds thought they had taken the lead in the second half when skipper Danny McGuire crossed the line only to have his try disallowed by video referee Robert Hicks for an obstruction.
“It looked a try to me,” McDermott said.
“I couldn’t see where anybody was hindered in the build-up.
“I don’t think it was pivotal, our attitude and lack of bite, both offence and defence was pivotal.
“We had a chance to go two points clear tonight and we’re not good enough to lead the comp at the moment.”
There's a double-header of Huddersfield Giants Academy action at Lockwood Park today (Saturday).
The Under 16s set the ball rolling with a Junior Academy clash against Wakefield at noon and then the Under 19s take centre stage in the Senior Academy against Newcastle Thunder at 2pm.
Under 19s: Jon-Luke Kirby, Jamie Greenwood, Tyllar Mellor, Jack Richardson, Oliver Jamieson, Louis Senior, Josh Pinder, Izaac Farrell, Jack Cooper, Reece Boxall-Hunt, Ross Whitmore, Connor Hampson, Alfie Copley, Ethan Salm, Oliver Russell, Jack Flynn, Sam Hewitt, Billy Hayes, Lucas Hallas
Under 16s: Logan Simpson, Ben Tibbs, Robbie Newton, Travis Corion, Leighton Davis, David Gibbons, Sean Slater, Wojciech Drop, Finley Bruce, Ben Bamber, Tom Mayoh, Aaron Metcalfe, Ellis Broadbent, Oliver Cook, Joe Stott, Dominic Young, Rourke Woolley, Kian Lappage, Lewis Laing
Admission prices are £3 for adult Giants season-ticket holders, £3.50 adults, £2 concession Giants season-ticket holders, £2.50 concessions and Under 16s free of charge.
