16 Mar 2025

MATCH REPORT - WAKEFIELD TRINITY CHALLENGE CUP (H)

Huddersfield Giants exited the Betfred Challenge Cup at the hands of Wakefield Trinity at home 12-22.

After falling victim last time out in the league away in Wigan, Luke Robinson has had his hand forced into making changes, with Adam Clune, Dane Gagai and Tom Burgess picking up knocks, Aidan McGowan moves from the wing to fullback with Sam Halsall returning to the wing, Taane Milne came into the centre from the interchange bench with new signing Liam Sutcliffe making his home competitive debut at half back. Matty English returns to the bench to replace the injured Burgess.

The early exchanges had both sides exchanging set for set, however, Wakefield were receiving the better chances attacking their fans with back-to-back sets on the Giants line. The discipline and patience on the line cracked after 15 minutes of the game as Wakefield loose forward and England international Mike McMeekan crashed through the Claret and Gold line to open the scoring. Full back Max Jowitt converted the opening score to give the visitors a 0-6 lead.

After going down awkwardly in the 24^th minute, Jowitt hobbled off causing a reshuffle in the visitors backline.

Just before the half an hour mark, Robinson’s men capitalised on their first proper bit of territory and good ball possession and pressure which resulted in them breaking their deadlock as the ball travelled from coast-to-coast going through the hands of the backline ending up in the hands prolific try scoring winger Adam Swift who dived in the corner. Sutcliffe added the extras to level the scores to 6-6.

Five minutes later, with momentum swinging their way, Sam Halsall on his return to the starting 13 found himself flirting with the touchline and with very little space, yet somehow found his way to the tryline with a spectacular Superman dive for the corner. This gave the Giants the lead for the first time in the game. Sutcliffe added two more points to his tally for the afternoon to extend the Giants lead to 12-6.

Wakefield started the second half the strongest as they only took four minutes to find the Giants tryline. Ill-discipline on behalf of the team in claret and gold allowed Trinity to march up the field. After having a try held up, hooker Liam Hood made the most of poor work at marker bumping off his man and scoring. Mason Lino converted the try to level the scores to 12-12.

Johnstone would then give Trinity the lead for the second time this afternoon, diving over in the corner, 12-18.

With seven minutes left, Johnstone found himself scoring a second try of the game as Lino’s delicately weighted kick landed straight in his path. The English winger out jumped full back McGowan to dot down in the corner. Lino however missed the kick which had the visitors have a ten point lead over Robinson’s men. 12-22.

By Bean Sheard.

TRIES

Swift, Halsall

GOALS

Sutcliffe 2/2

Giants

McGowan, Swift, Milne, Bibby, Halsall, Lolohea, Sutcliffe, Wilson, Golding, Rogers, Hewitt, Murchie, Cudjoe

Interchanges

Deakin, English, Rushton, Flanagan

Trinity

Jowitt, Johnstone, Pratt, Hall, Walmsley, Trueman, Lino, Storton, Hood, Hamlin-Uele, Vagana, Croft, McMeekan

Interchanges