21 Nov 2019
Rewind: Huddersfield vs Halifax 2003
Looking ahead to Jermaine McGillvary's testimonial game in the revival of the Infirmary Cup, we look back to the last competitive meeting at the John Smith's Stadium between the two sides.
Great games make great sides, and great rivalries make great players. Good Friday has Sculthorpe and Farrell, Hull has Dobson and Houghton, and Cheshire has Gregory and Davies.
People argue the validity of certain derbies which seems ridiculous given that there is a historic element linking to the Derby estate originally only being connected to horse racing, but words change meaning and have continued to do so.
Derbies are plentiful in rugby league, the very definition meaning a game between two local rivals, and with so many of the top clubs in the country being so close to each other, lots of the games constitute a derby. However, it’s the classics that we remember.
Huddersfield Giants will have the chance to show off one of their great players, in one of it’s most historic derby fixtures, when Halifax visit the John Smith’s Stadium for Jermaine McGillvary’s testimonial.
Jermaine has cemented his place in the hearts and memories of Giants fans, but he has another chance to make memories to last forever by beating close rivals Halifax in an eagerly anticipated derby game, that is sure to be as fierce as any we remember.
Halifax's last competitive visit to the John Smith's Stadium came during the turgid 2003 season for Fax, Tony Anderson's men were seeking their first win in 11 games after starting the season with a win at London. The Giants had bested them by a point in Round 6, winning 21-20 at the Shay. The Giants themselves came into the game on the back of some bad form, losing six on the trot leading up to the June match-up.
The Halifax side featured some interesting names; Liam Finn, future Giant Sean Penkywicz and former Giant and Challenge Cup Winner Johnny Lawless featured, facing off against a Giants side featuring Brandon Costin, Hefin O'Hare, Graham Holroyd, Jamie Bloem and future Giants Academy Coach Mick Slicker.
Huddersfield came on top that day, winning 28-26 courtesy of tries from Costin, Hefin O'Hare, Reilly, Roarty, Darren 'Rocky' Turner and four goals from Costin. While the Claret and Gold's form recovered with the victory, Halifax's did not and they failed to win another game all season - being relegated from the Super League. A man missing from Huddersfield's line-up that day, Stanley Gene, would go on to haunt Halifax in the return leg in Round 23 of the 2003 Season, scoring a hat-trick on the way to a 54-12 victory.
Since then, the two sides have met sporadically in the Infirmary Cup, a pre-season fixture revived this year for Jerry's Testimonial. We'll look forward to their return in January, to support a true great in Jermaine McGillvary and to revive the popular fixture between the two sides.
Partners
