Veteran half back Danny Brough starred on his return to the Huddersfield Giants side as they beat Hull FC 29 - 18 at the John Smith’s Stadium on Thursday night,
Brough was playing for the first time since receiving a three match ban for a dangerous tackle in the Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat by Catalans Dragons .
The 35-year-old created two tries. One with a neat grubber kick for Aaron Murphy to touch down and a second with some clever play to put it on a plate for Daniel Smith.
He contributed four goals and one drop goal and drew high praise from head coach Simon Woolford for his tactical kicking game and game management.
“I thought Danny Brough’s kicking game was outstanding. He found the right kicks at the right time, he put them over the sideline when he needed to, and he got us a couple of repeat sets too.
“His game management was there for everyone to see, that’s what you get from a 35-year-old who’s played 300 odd Super League games and he’s a really important part of our team.”
Woolford also highlighted Brough’s fiery character: an important aspect of his game that is arguably worth the occasional disciplinary action.
“I can’t fault Danny. His attitude has been fantastic. He’s competitive, he’s my type of player. He’s a competitor in training and on the field.
“It can get him into strife at times but you never want to take that attitude away from any player.”
The dedication shown by Brough extends into training and into helping some of the younger talents in the Giants squad, including his replacement for the last three games, Olly Russell.
Woolford added: “He’s had three weeks off and has been the hardest worker in that time. He’s done a lot of work with Olly Russell helping him with his game, he’s a really important part of our team and he showed that tonight.”
