Huddersfield Giants hero Danny Brough hailed the best drop goal of his career – and then stated he never wanted to have to go through the experience again.
The 33-year-old stand off fired the Giants into a crucial 23-22 lead against Middle 8s rivals Hull KR and – despite a couple of late scares – Huddersfield held on for a win that secures Super League rugby in 2017.
With the win the Giants avoided the agony of facing the ‘million pound game’, which will now see the Robins take on Salford Red Devils, but Brough is not a big fan of the Super 8s system.
“The Middle 8s is a tough gig, but we beat two Super League teams in Leeds and Hull KR in our last two games so I think we have shown we deserve our Super League place,“ he said.
“But these games are difficult because you are playing for your livelihood, you’re not just playing another game.
“You have to scrap and scramble for everything and I am just pleased that the boys did a really good job.
“It was nice to get in with the crowd at the end and enjoy the moment with them, but I never want to play in the qualifiers ever again.”
The Giants looked to be making an easy job of ensuring survival leading 22-4 at half-time on the Robins home track, but the home side hit back to pull level making Brough’s drop goal the crucial match-winner.
“It was never in doubt in the first half,” said Brough.
“But in the second half we started to cough up a lot of ball and we didn’t help ourselves.
“I thought our goalline defence was good, but we let them score a couple of scrappy tries off the back of kicks.
“But as much ball as they had and the yardage they were making on us in the second half, we still weren’t behind and we had to stay positive.
“We had to work hard and managed to get back to their end of the field and thankfully we got that point.
“It is definitely the most important drop goal I’ve ever scored – especially after my penalty had hit the post.
“You don’t want to be the player who let’s the team down and it was so frustrating, but at least we got back down there to have the chance to get the point to win.”
And Brough has sympathy for those players and their clubs who are facing another game next Saturday.
“The club has been through a lot this season and we’ve had our ups and downs, but I believe that we belong in Super League,” he added.
“The fans were great again and follow us everywhere and I think we have ensured that we will be playing where we deserve to be, but I feel so sorry for the clubs going into that million pound game – if you lose in that then there is every chance people at that club could lose their jobs.
“But that’s how rugby league is being run and that’s the way it is.”
Brough, who now looks forward to leading Scotland in the Four Nations series, believes that under head coach Rick Stone the Giants should be competing higher up the rankings again next season.
“I think Rick Stone will get a good squad together over the close season and that next year we will compete from the start,” said Brough.
“We were under no illusions that this season was going to be a tough year, but a lot of boys have come in and started to cement their places and all we need now is for Stoney to add a few pieces to the jigsaw together and we will be alright.”
