Giants fall short at Headingley

Huddersfield Giants: (6) 14

Tries: Leutele, Senior, Cudjoe

Conversions:

Penalties: Russell

Leeds Rhinos: (8) 18

Tries: Martin, Myler, Austin

Conversions: Martin (3)

Huddersfield: Lolohea, Cudjoe, King, Leutele, L. Senior; Russell, Fages; Hill, Levi, Wilson; Hewitt, McQuuen, Yates

Interchanges: English, Greenwood, O’Brien, Trout

Leeds Rhinos: Myler, Fusitu’a, Hardaker, Sutcliffe, Handley; Austin, Sezer; Oldedzki, Dwyer, Tetevano; Gannon, Martin, Bentley

Interchanges: Leeming, Briscoe, O’Connor, Prior

Referee: Jack Smith

Touch Judge: Marcus Griffiths

Touch Judge: Warren Turley

Huddersfield Giants fell short in the late stages in their West Yorkshire Derby against Leeds Rhinos, losing 18-14 at Headingley in a breathtaking Betfred Super League game. 

Leeds opened the scoring early through a David Fusitu’a break offloaded to Rhyse Martin, which was converted by the back rower to give the hosts a lead of six point lead. 

Huddersfield responded well to the early setback and applied a field position advantage and plenty of possession, culminating in two scoring efforts being sent upstairs, both however were struck off.

It took less than ten minutes after conceding to get on the board however, as Ricky Leutele powered in for the Giants first try of this Wednesday evening. 

After the Giants scored, Blake Austin became the first of four players to be sent to the sin-bin, with Austin sent the stands for a dangerous tackle. Huddersfield were able to capitalise, and Louis Senior was able to get the Giants second try, and his third in two games, to bring the two teams into the sheds with a two point lead to the Claret and Gold. 

The hosts came out firing in the second half, and profited from an early defensive play, forcing the Giants into touch on the kick off, to open an opportunity for Richie Myler to give the Rhinos the lead. Leeds’ lead brought out a confident side to the hosts, and they were able to get on top of Huddersfield in the opening ten of the second stanza.

Despite the early pressure, Huddersfield would strike the next blow in this absorbing contest with a flowing team move finished by Leroy Cudjoe. The hosts would feel the burn from that particular move a little more as former Giant Aidan Sezer saw ten for contact with the head during the scoring play, and the hosts were down to 12 for the second time. The sin-binning allowed the Claret and Gold to regain some momentum, and Olly Russell was able to add two points to the Giants score to widen the gap. 

Huddersfield were able to bring an element of control to the game into the closing stages until the decision with three left on the clock to send Chris Hill to the sin-bin, which swung the momentum yet again. Blake Austin was the player to profit, scoring before Rhyse Martin added his third kick of the evening. 

Tempered flared in this breathless game and late on, a kerfuffle of both sets of players after a tackle that irked the Rhinos players resulted in the fourth sin-binning of the night, Joe Greenwood leaving the field with 45 seconds on the clock, leaving the Giants with eleven players and possession in Blue and Amber, an impossible task.

The Giants were defeated, but both sides brought playoff intensity to proceedings, and with the Playoffs approaching, got match practice of the intensity of finals football. 

Huddersfield return to the John Smith’s Stadium on Monday, to host Warrington and can seal a home playoff game with a win.