All that stood in the way of the Huddersfield Giants and a place in the Super Eights was the Castleford Tigers. The Giants came into the game knowing that a win would ease them into the elite competition with a week to spare, but a loss would mean that they would likely need to beat Wakefield Trinity next weekend.
The Tigers also had an agenda. A win tonight would lift them above Wigan Warriors and into second position in the table, the place required for a home semi-final in a few weeks time as they seek to return to Old Trafford and go one better than next season.
The Tigers opened the nights scoring on six minutes when Jamie Ellis threw a dummy and outfoxed the Giants defence to bounce over the line and score. Referee Kendall sent the decision to the video referee who announced ‘TRY’. Ellis converted his own try for a 6-0 lead.
Two minutes later a Paul McShane dummy put Jake Trueman through a gap to walk in for an easy four-pointer. After the scorer improved the angle the Ellis conversion was a formality. After ten minute it was looking ominous for the Giants.
But the Giants didn’t throw in the towel and on seventeen Jermaine McGillvary was on hand to take the final pass in a cross-field passing move and go ten metres to score by the right corner flag. Brough added the extras brilliantly from the touchline to get his side back within six.
On twenty-three McGillvary got his second, this time from three metres, after the Giants had kept the ball alive in a left to right passing move. Brough was unable to add the extras but the visitors were back within two. A Brough penalty from twenty metres, just before the half hour, levelled the scores.
Junior Moors re-established the Tigers lead on thirty-three taking a pass from Paul McShane, busting the tackle, and crossing from three metres. Ellis added the extras for an 18-12 lead.
Just before the interval Lee Gaskell ran the angle and found a gap in the Tigers defence to score from twenty metres, Brough added the extras and the sides went into the shed all square at 18-18.
The Giants hit the front just three minutes after the restart when Leroy Cudjoe chased and grounded a Danny Brough grubber as the Tigers defenders stood and watched him. Brough failed to add the conversion.
Two minutes later Darnell McIntosh ran in Huddersfield’s fifth after a Lee Gaskell dummy and pass created the space for the winger to go over. Brough again missed the goal but the Giants were 26-18 ahead and now it was the Tigers who were up against it.
On fifty-one McGillvary got his hat-trick try off a long ball pass from Jordan Rankin to score from ten metres. Brough was again off target, the lead now twelve points.
A superb try saving tackle on Greg Eden by Ryan Hinchcliffe on fifty-seven kept the Tigers out and two minutes later a high tackle gifted the Giants a simple penalty to extend the lead to three scores at 18-32.
This was a great night at the office for the Giants who secured their place in the Super Eights with a week to spare but a thoroughly disappointing one for the Tigers who missed out on the chance to go second in the table. Despite going behind early on Huddersfield showed no fear and fought back tremendously for a big and confident win.
Tigers: Laulu-Togagae, Clare, Webster, Shenton, Eden, Ellis (T, 3G), Trueman (T), Watts, McShane, Sene-Lefao, Holmes, Millington, Milner. Subs: Moors (T), Massey, Cook, Clark.
Giants: Rankin, McGillvary (3T), Cudjoe (T), Turner, McIntosh (T), Gaskell (T), Brough (4G), Clough, O’Brien, Lawrence, Mellor, Murphy, Ta’ai. Subs: Ferguson, Hinchcliffe, Roberts, Smith.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
Half-Time: 18-18.
Full-Time: 18-32.
Attendance: .
