Huddersfield Giants only have themselves to blame for this shattering Super League defeat at Widnes Vikings.
Twice in this demoralising contest the Giants opened up a two-score lead only to throw it away to gift their hosts a shock victory.
Last week’s 24-24 draw against Hull KR after Huddersfield had led 24-6 was bad enough, but this took it to a completely different level.
All hopes that there would be a positive reaction to the events of the previous Sunday never looked like happening as the visitors found it almost impossible to get out of first gear against a Widnes side who looked sharper and hungrier.
But they were still helped considerably by a Giants’ side who time and again hit the self-destruct button and got the outcome they deserved.
For the opening 30 minutes, Huddersfield were the more dominant power and deservedly led 10-0, before Widnes fought back strongly to hold a 12-10 interval advantage – and leave the Giants shell-shocked.
It certainly didn’t seem possible given the opening exchanges.
Huddersfield forced a drop-out straight from the kick-off and they took the lead after nine minutes.
Rhys Hanbury failed to deal with a towering Danny Brough bomb, the ball fell perfectly to Leroy Cudjoe and the England centre immediately fed Jermaine McGillvary to finish off in the corner.
Brough was unable to add the touchline conversion, but made no mistake with his second attempt 13 minutes later.
That came after Cudjoe incepted a Danny Craven pass on his own 20 metres line and outpaced the cover to score under the posts.
At that stage, the Giants looked in completed control, but in the final 10 minutes it all started to fall apart.
Hanbury stepped over from close range after Huddersfield had conceded back-to-back penalties and three minutes before the break prop Paul Clough scored on his Vikings’ debut from a yard out.
Danny Tickle landed both goals and the Giants were behind.
But after a nervy start to the second period, Huddersfield regained the lead in the 49th minute when Jason Chan was held up on the line and Kyle Wood fed Eorl Crabtree from acting half-back to crash over.
Brough’s goal made it 16-12, but the Giants skipper failed to land a straight 40 metre penalty moments later, but made no mistake with a far easier effort on the hour to put his side one converted try ahead.
Another Brough penalty on the back of another towering kick nudged the lead up to eight with 13 minutes remaining.
However, a minute later it was game on once again when a dreadful Giants mix-up as they looked to play out of their own 20 gave Joe Mellor a walk-in for Widnes’ third converted try.
On the next set, the Giants failed to clear their own lines and they paid the ultimate price by almost inexplicably failing to prevent the ball being kept alive in the corner for Hanbury to touch down.
With Tickle failing to convert, it was 22-20 to the hosts – and an awful night for the Giants was complete.
In last night’s other games Leeds Rhinos, who face the Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium next Friday night, won 40-12 at Catalan Dragons scoring seven tries through Joel Moon, Brett Delaney, Tom Briscoe, Carl Ablett, Ryan Hall (2) and Kevin Sinfield, who kicked six goals.
The Dragons tries were scored by Michael Oldfield and Jean-Philippe Baile and William Barthau added two goals.
Castleford Tigers kept their impressive start to the campaign going with a 30-10 win at Hull KR.
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