If this proves to be caretaker coach Andy Kelly’s final game holding the first team reins, he was given a rousing send-off.
Strangely, he must be wondering what the three matches were all about.
An emotional success, 31-30 at Salford, an ignominious exit from the Challenge Cup’s last eight at the hands of Wakefield trinity (28-16) and then a very confident display in beating table-topping Hull FC.
The Airlie Birds arrived, and admittedly left, as Super League leaders – but they were out-classed by a Giants side that leant heavily on youth.
It certainly seems to bode well for Huddersfield that their blend of youth and experience were thoroughly at ease dealing with opponents who turned up boasting 15 wins in their last 16 games in all competitions.
Perhaps the fitting riposte from Kelly, soon to return to his duties as England Academy coach and Huddersfield’s head of youth performance, was to give the youngsters a chance.
Jake Connor, heading to the Airlie Birds next season, was selected at full-back, Sam Wood replaced the injured Joe Wardle and Kruise Lemming started at hooker. Club captain Ryan Hinchcliffe took the loose forward shift.
However, there were other telling changes of role.
Ryan Brierley was given his chance to impress at scrum half while Jamie Ellis took the stand off position vacated by Danny Brough, serving a one-match ban, and Tongan international Ukuma Ta’ai moved into the front row.
The Game proved to be a slow-burner as Super League table-toppers Hull struggled to make the kind of impact expected of league leaders.
It was fair to say that the visitors had the better of the opening 15 minutes, but their best chance went begging with a push for the line held up on the quarter hour.
The Giants rightly deduced they were not only doing something right but could take hold of the game and, on 17 minutes, they grabbed the lead.
Ellis, growing in confidence as he took responsibility as the side’s general in the absence of Brough, dabbed through a perfectly-weighted grubber kick and second rower Michael Lawrence pounced for the try. The stand off half duly added the goal.
Within three minutes the Giants had pressed Hull back to their own line again and forced a drop out.
The Giants continued to defy the Hull attacks and, despite all the attempted prompts of visiting half backs Leon Pryce and Marc Sneyd, the league leaders failed to produce a clear-cut chance.
The Giants looked more and more comfortable and their pressure brought more dividends a minute before half-time when Hull conceded a penalty in their own defensive zone and Ellis banged over his second goal, from 25 yards, to give the home side an eight-point lead at half-time.
Hull thought they had hurt the Giants almost instantly after the restart when Steve Michaels looked to have gone in at the corner, but the video referee Ben Thaler ruled that Connor had denied the touchdown.
The respite was short lived as Hull built again and this time Danny Washbrook made no mistake and Marc Sneyd thumped over his first goal.
However, the Giants came back in some style with three tries inside seven minutes as they took control.
On 49 minutes Australian import Tom Symonds powered over for his first try since arriving from Manly.
Ellis added the goal but was unable to tack on the points to the next two touchdowns as England winger Jermaine McGillvary took his career tally to the 150 landmark with two scores in the right hand corner.
In the final quarter saw Hull huffed and puffed and eventually scored through Mahe Fonua. Sneyd goalled.
