Huddersfield Giants chief Paul Anderson is hoping Kruise Leeming doesn’t take the events of Sunday to his heart.
The 18-year-old hooker wasn’t introduced until the closing moments of his side’s opening home Super League clash against Hull KR.
But during his brief time on the field as a replacement for starting No9 Kyle Wood, Rovers grabbed two tries in the last three minutes to earn a shattering 24-24 draw.
Anderson felt his side’s bad attitude throughout the contest played a key part in that late collapse, and in that respect Leeming couldn’t be held accountable.
“I thought Kyle showed up well on the day,” said Anderson, who gave Wood a start to enable senior hooker Shaun Lunt to have a couple of extra day’s rest to recover from an ankle injury suffered during the opening-night win at champions Wigan.
“And I also felt a bit for Kruise with the way things worked out for him.
“Because the game had been so scrappy we didn’t think it was fair to put him out there, which is why he didn’t get a run until the closing stages.
“At that point, with less than 10 minutes to go and with a 12-point lead, you’d like to think the game’s won.
“Kruise wasn’t the reason we ended up drawing this game. There were other factors why that was the case, and that’s what we’re addressing right now.”
Click here for more Huddersfield Giants news
Want the latest Huddersfield Giants news? Follow our Giants news Twitter here
