HULL FC 14 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 30
ARINDAM REJ, MKM Stadium, Saturday
TUI LOLOHEA helped inspire Huddersfield as they produced an efficient and defensively strong performance to stun play-off chasing Hull FC.
Huddersfield were worthy winners, although there was controversy early in the second half when Hull’s Harvey Barron had a try disallowed by the video referee as they trailed 18-4.
Lewis Martin ended with a hat-trick of tries for the home side – all assisted by Davy Litten – but that was in vain, as Huddersfield ran in five tries of their own on owner Ken Davy’s birthday.
The Black and Whites came into the game on the back of a highly impressive win at Wigan – having ended an almost year-long wait for MKM Stadium success in the previous match against Wakefield – but their bad habits at home resurfaced.
The Airlie Birds got into dangerous positions but were not clinical enough, looking too flat, and made too many errors while losing their heads at times. The Giants, in contrast, showed some ruthlessness and were often tidy.
Assistant coach Andy Last had described this beforehand as a potentially dangerous game because of Hull coming in as favourites and needing to handle it – and his words were proven right, as the Giants successfully followed up their win over this opposition at Magic Weekend.
For Huddersfield, it was a fine response after a very poor 46-10 defeat against another play-off contender, Wakefield.
Liam Watts was a notable returnee for Hull FC, making just his second appearance since returning to the club, while Brad Fash missed out injured.
here was another opportunity, meanwhile, for promising George Flanagan to show his worth for Huddersfield, after news that Niall Evalds will be out for the season.
Hull started on the front foot with Barron held up by some desperate defence – then, on the other flank, Litten could not ground as he looked to score.
Jed Cartwright needed to go off for a head-injury assessment, after he was bloodied from a clash with Matt Frawley, and the re-moulded Hull line-up then had to withstand some pressure.
Adam Swift struck against his former club as he squeezed over in the left-hand corner following Lolahea’s shimmy and neat pass.
The home side responded quickly by forcing a goal-line drop-out from Barron’s kick, but they could not capitalise – although there was soon some better news as Cartwright passed his HIA.
They then soon went over for a try as Aidan Sezer found Litten and the latter’s slick, one-handed pass supplied Martin to slide over.
Huddersfield, though, were rewarded for the way they withstood earlier pressure as they struck again. The try came when a well-delivered kick from the alert Frawley allowed Joe Greenwood to expose a gap and plant the ball down.
There was soon another blow for Hull, in a pivotal moment, as Sezer’s pass was not collected by Jordan Rapana – and that allowed Jake Bibby to pick up the loose ball and burst forward then touch down, seeing off the chasing Barron and making it 4-18 at half-time.
Hull needed an improved start to the second half and Rapana teed up Barron who produced a great effort, touching down acrobatically in the corner, given on field as a try – but he was denied by the video referee, raising questions about whether there had been enough evidence to overturn the decision.
And the temperature was not turned down by an unsuccessful captain’s challenge for Hull FC soon afterwards as they questioned a knock-on call.
Hull were losing their heads and Huddersfield pounced again when the halfbacks combined to tee up Flanagan, who dummied and forced his way over for a try (converted by himself, as all five Giants efforts were).
The Black and Whites found some joy when Litten produced some more magic to shift the ball on for another Martin try, the only one converted by Jack Charles, as he went over in space.
But that joy was short-lived as Lolohea stepped sharply then brushed off would-be tacklers to extend Huddersfield’s lead again.
Martin completed his hat-trick in high-quality fashion by taking advantage of Sezer’s kick and booting the ball to Litten, who gave the ball back to him, before the winger finished well.
GAMESTAR: Tui Lolohea was influential again, including two assists, and his display was capped by a subtle and determined finish for a try of his own.
GAMEBREAKER: George Flanagan scored the Giants’ fourth try, as they stretched the lead to 24-4, and it already looked game over in the 57th minute.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Davy Litten arrowed forward then delicately delivered a one-handed pass for Lewis Martin to slide over, one of three great assists from the centre for Martin.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Tui Lolohea (Huddersfield)
2 pts Matt Frawley (Huddersfield)
1 pt Davy Litten (Hull FC)
MATCHFACTS
HULL FC
3 Zak Hardaker
2 Harvey Barron
1 Jordan Rapana
20 Davy Litten
22 Lewis Martin
24 Jack Charles
7 Aidan Sezer
8 Herman Ese’ese
14 Cade Cust
40 Liam Knight
11 Jed Cartwright
17 Jack Ashworth
16 Yusuf Aydin
Subs (all used)
5 Tom Briscoe
9 Amir Bourouh
39 Sam Eseh
41 Liam Watts
18th man (not used)
27 Matty Laidlaw
Also in 21-man squad
21 Will Gardiner
23 Logan Moy
33 Will Hutchinson
Tries: Martin (28, 62, 71)
Goals: Charles 1/3
GIANTS
29 George Flanagan
2 Adam Swift
3 Jake Bibby
23 Taane Milne
1 Jacob Gagai
6 Tui Lolohea
35 Matt Frawley
18 Fenton Rogers
9 Zac Woolford
22 Tristan Powell
13 Harry Rushton
17 Joe Greenwood
21 Leroy Cudjoe
Subs (all used)
10 Tom Burgess
14 Ashton Golding
15 Matty English
16 George King
18th man (not used)
27 Kieran Rush
Also in 21-man squad
5 Sam Halsall
25 Jack Billington
30 Jack Bibby
Tries: Swift (15), Greenwood (35), Jake Bibby (39), Flanagan (56), Lolohea (65)
Goals: Flanagan 5/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 4-6, 4-12, 4-18; 4-24, 10-24, 10-30, 14-30
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull FC: Davy Litten; Giants: Tui Lolohea
Penalty count: 2-2
Half-time: 4-18
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 10,665