HUNSLET 6 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 34
CHRISTIAN LEE, South Leeds Stadium, Sunday
FLYING winger Adam Swift’s try double helped Huddersfield bounce back from an early scare.
The Super League side went behind, and led just 12-6 at the break, but four unanswered tries then ended any chance of an upset.
The Giants enjoyed much of the play early on but, after some resolute Hunslet defence, it was the home side who struck first through experienced campaigner and new signing Greg Eden.
Huddersfield’s Elliot Wallis fumbled a viciously spiralling high ball from Matty Beharrell and Eden was on hand to scoop it up and dive over. Beharrell added the extras from out wide.
The visitors continued to play on the front foot despite the early setback, however handling errors thwarted any real chances of crossing the Hunslet line.
Eventually though, the pressure told and Huddersfield went in front through back-to-back tries from Harry Rushton and Swift, both goaled by Kieran Rush.
A well-timed short pass from Tui Lolohea put Rushton through a gap for the first before a slick move created space for Swift to dive over and put his side ahead.
Neither side did much to threaten the scoreboard as the first half rolled on, with the action littered with mistakes and handling errors to prevent any momentum being generated.
Hunslet made a bad start to the second half and gifted a score. Coming out of their own end, the home side were too slipshod and Wallis plucked a pass intended for Eden out of the air and pounced for Rush to convert.
Wallis could have had another moments later but Lolohea misjudged the weight of his kick through into the in-goal.
Huddersfield struggled to break open a resolute defence, coming closest to doing so when Swift looked to have a gap to the line, only for three Hunslet men to get under the ball and hold him up.
Luke Robinson’s side eventually got a fourth try when, spotting plenty of space in behind, Lolohea put a kick through and Jake Bibby was first to the bouncing ball. George Flanagan, who had replaced the injured Rush, tagged on the two.
Huddersfield scored two further tries in the closing minutes.
Lolohea again had a hand as his floated pass found Swift, who crossed for his second.
Flanagan, bringing a much-needed spark to a somewhat laboured Huddersfield attack, then set up the final try.
The ball was spun out wide to the youngster, who put Joe Greenwood through a gap with a lovely deft pass, then added the goal.
GAMESTAR: Tui Lolohea was the star for Huddersfield, having a hand in most of his side’s tries.
GAMEBREAKER: The game was in the balance at half-time but Elliot Wallis’ score extended the Giants’ lead to two converted tries and his side were relatively untroubled for the remainder of the match.
MATCHFACTS
HUNSLET
1 Jimmy Watson
5 Mackenzie Turner
30 Noah Booth
4 Billy Jowitt
16 Greg Eden
6 Lachlan Hanneghan
7 Matty Beharrell
8 Harvey Hallas
9 Ross Whitmore
31 Kevin Larroyer
11 Ethan Wood
19 Liam Welham
13 Jordan Syme
Subs (all used)
14 Cameron Berry
24 Dean Roberts
26 Ethan O’Hanlon
27 Sam Campbell
Tries: Eden (9)
Goals: Beharrell 1/1
GIANTS
1 Jacob Gagai (D)
2 Adam Swift
3 Jake Bibby
12 Sam Hewitt
20 Elliot Wallis
6 Tui Lolohea
27 Kieran Rush
8 Oliver Wilson
9 Zac Woolford (D)
10 Tom Burgess (D)
13 Harry Rushton
17 Joe Greenwood
14 Ashton Golding
Subs (all used)
29 George Flanagan (D)
25 Jack Billington
30 Jack Bibby
18 Fenton Rogers
Tries: Rushton (20), Swift (24, 66), Wallis (44), Bibby (60), Greenwood (75)
Goals: Rush 3/3, Flanagan 2/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-12; 6-18, 6-24, 6-28, 6-34
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hunslet: Matty Beharrell; Giants: Tui Lolohea
Penalty count: 3-4
Half-time: 6-12
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 985
