Huddersfield Giants ripped the Super League formbook to shreds by storming into the quarter-final of the Challenge Cup with a 24-14 victory over Wakefield Trinity.
Few would have predicted a win for the mis-firing hosts against a Wakefield side who have been full value for their top-eight standing in this season’s competition.
It was a shame for the Giants ’ new Australian head coach Simon Woolford that he didn’t quite get to the stadium in time to lead his side into battle for the first time.
But it was the perfect send-off for interim coach Chris Thorman, and points the way ahead for a brighter future for the new Huddersfield regime.
For Wakefield, on the other hand, it means their sole focus can be on their continuing bid to secure another top eight Super League finish.
Trinity certainly didn’t waste any time showing their 2018 form as they took the lead in the fifth minute as Mason Caton-Brown pounced on Jacob Miller’s grubber-kick to the corner on the sixth tackle to get the vital touch, although it was too far out for Liam Finn to land the conversion.
And even though Huddersfield found an immediate positive response, with Paul Clough held up over the tryline moments later, Finn made no mistake with a second goal attempt from a penalty to nudge his side 6-0 ahead in the 12th minute.
That, however, failed to knock the wind out of the home side’s sails as they drew level in fortuitous circumstances four minutes later.
Adam O’Brien’s long pass close to the Trinity tryline was almost intercepted by Tom Johnstone, but the ball instead bobbled out of the winger’s grasp and into his side’s in-goal area for the grateful O’Brien to touch down.
Danny Brough added the extras, and the game was perfectly poised.
But with the big Wakefield pack starting to gain the upper hand, the stretched Giants’ defence was forced to concede a succession of soft penalties, which culminated in Kruise Leeming being sent to the sin-bin moments after the hosts had been placed on a team warning by referee Gareth Hewer.
Finn landed the subsequent penalty to take his side back into the lead, with only desperate last-ditch Giants defence preventing Keegan Hirst from adding Wakefield’s second try and providing them with more than their narrow two-point interval advantage.
Far from impressive defence was hardly on show from the visitors five minutes after the restart as England Academy prop Matty English powered his way through some half-hearted to tackles to touch down under the posts for his first senior score for Brough to convert and take the Giants into the lead for the first time.
All of a sudden, Huddersfield looked in total control, and it was certainly no surprise when Jake Mamo took play to the line and fed the onrushing Ukuma Ta’ai to crash over and extend his side’s lead to 10 points.
The resurgent Giants then tightened their grip on the contest even further with 15 minutes remaining when Ta’ai burst clear and served a try on a plate for Lee Gaskell to cross for converted try No4.
At 24-8, the game seemed to be slipping away from the visitors.
Ryan Hampshire made sure all was still not lost for his side two minutes later by scorching over in the corner for Finn to land the touchline conversion.
But it was never going to be enough against their far hungrier hosts.
MOM:
Matty English was a revelation with his whole-hearted, inspirational showing.
MOMENT:
England Academy prop Matty English’s early second-half try under the posts was a moment to savour as the pocket rocket stormed over for his first senior Giants try.
MOAN:
There was a spell in the first half when referee Gareth Hewer looked intent on penalising the Giants out of the game as the penalty count went up to 7-3 against the hosts and Kruise Leeming was sent to the sin-bin.
