4 Jul 2019

CLASSY GIANTS PASS SALFORD TEST

Huddersfield Giants 36-18 Salford Red Devils

Oliver Wilson made his Giants Super League debut and Tom Holmes his Giants debut for the visit to the AJ Bell Stadium to face Salford Red Devils in Round 21 of the Super League and Louis Senior replaced Leroy Cudjoe with the Giants looking to get back to winning ways and move away from the relegation battle.

The home side started strongly and took the lead after 3 minutes when a high kick was spilled by Innes Senior inside his own 20 and after Josh Jones had been held up over the goal line Tyrone McCarthy took advantage of soft defence to touch down for a try, Inu failing with the conversion attempt. On 10 minutes the Giants suffered a blow with the loss of Adam O’Brien carried off on a stretcher after a head knock, Kruse Leeming replacing him. The Giants had not settled and went further behind on 15 minutes with a cut out pass and try to Sio on the left after a goal line drop out, the goal kick again failing. The entry of Matt English from the bench on the half hour sparked a much needed impetus to the Giants play they quickly got on the score sheet when he forced himself over by the posts, the video referee confirming the try. Lee Gaskell added the extras and the Giants were just 2 points adrift. The whole momentum had now swung the Giants way and on 36 minutes they went ahead with an excellent finish in the left corner by Innes Senior after a Salford error on a high kick and good work by Tom Holmes. Lee Gaskell missed the conversion but the Giants after a slow start went in at the half time hooter with a 2 point advantage.

The second half was just 4 minutes old when the Giants went further ahead. Darnell McIntosh was the try scorer following a penalty to put the Giants 6 points to the good, Lee Gaskell again being off the mark with his conversion attempt. Then however an error in the Giants ingoal area when they failed to make the ball dead gifted a try to Welham although they again failed to convert. The Giants defence was strong when the Red Devils forced a goal line drop out and they re-established their ascendancy on 62 minutes with an opportunist Kruse Leeming try chipping the ball forward to the ingoal and winning the race to the touch down. Lee Gaskell hit the post with the conversion. 2 minutes later Ukuma Ta’ai burst through the Red Devils defence for a fine try, Darnell McIntosh adding the extras. On 70 minutes Jake Wardle crossed in the left corner for a quality try with Darnell McIntosh adding a fine conversion from wide out which took the Giants to 30 points and virtually clinched the result for the Giants. The Red Devils did hit back with Tyrone McCarthy’s second try of the evening after 2 consecutive penalties. Inu’s conversion put his side 12 points in arrears with 7 minutes left, but the Giants had the final score on 78 minutes, Lee Gaskell cutting clean through the defence and putting Darnell McIntosh over for his second try of the evening by the posts, the try scorer adding the extras.

This had been a much improved Giants all round team performance fully deserving the result. More of the same will be needed next time out Friday 12 July at the John Smith’s Stadium when Catalan Dragons are the visitors kick off 7.45pm.

Teams: Salford Red Devils: Evalds; Johnson, Inu, Welham, Sio; Lolohea, Hastings; Nakubuwai, Lussick, Dudson, Jones, Lannon, McCarthy

Interchanges: Bibby, Flanagan, Burke, Tomkins

Giants: McIntosh; McGillvary, L Senior, Jake Wardle, I Senior; Gaskell, Holmes; Clough, O’Brien, Ikahihifo, Ta’ai, Murphy, Mellor

Interchanges: English, Wilson, Leeming, Lawrence

Referee: Robert Hicks

Half time score: Salford Red Devils 8 Giants 10

Full Time Score: Salford Red Devils 18 Giants 36

Scorers: Salford Red Devils: Tries: McCarthy (2), Sio, Welham

Goal: Inu

Giants: Tries: English, I Senior, McIntosh (2), Leeming, Ta’ai, Jake Wardle

Goals: Gaskell, McIntosh (3)

Penalties conceded : Salford Red Devils 5 Giants 6