GIANTS skipper Chris Thorman today warned: “Beware of a Wigan backlash!”
The Lancashire club have suffered a miserable spell, with the deduction of four points for breaking the Super League salary cap being followed by yesterday’s Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-final elimination by Catalans.
The French side, who come to Huddersfield on Sunday, now go on to face St Helens in the Wembley cup final on Saturday, August 25.
By that time, the play-off chasing Giants will have played three more Super League games, including one against Wigan at the JJB Stadium on Friday week.
With six rounds to go and a host of clubs still in the hunt for a top-six spot, Thorman knows every game is going to be vital.
Hull boosted their chances by beating basement side Salford 48-26 in yesterday’s rearranged game.
That put them fourth, four places but only three points ahead of Huddersfield.
After their deduction, Wigan are a place and a point behind the Giants, and Thorman knows they will be desperate to respond.
“They’ll use the points loss and no doubt the semi-final defeat as a motivational tool,” said the Geordie ace.
“It’s hard to argue against the punishment, given the amount they went over the salary cap.
“But they’ll think ‘Let’s show them all’ and I reckon they’ll come back firing when they play Warrington on Sunday.”
