Giants grind out penultimate pre-season win

Huddersfield Giants 16-4 Wakefield Trinity

By Joe Buck

He may have come from the NRL but Aidan Sezer proved he can cut it on a cold-Wakefield night in January as he oversaw a very professional 16-4 victory for Huddersfield Giants.

Tries from both Wardle’s and Jermaine McGillvary in the first half and a solid defensive effort in the second half was enough for Giants to secure victory in their second preseason game.

It may have been a friendly match but when the cries of “get them onside referee” were heard in just the first minute, it was obvious both sets of supporters wanted victory.

An early Lee Gaskell break down the right almost led to the opening try but some last-ditch defending saw the Giants man stopped just fifteen metres out.

Giants did break the deadlock however through Joe Wardle. Darnell McIntosh picked up the ball on the left and his jinking run across the field looked to have reached a dead end but there was Wardle on his shoulder to receive the ball and crash home.

Sezer added to his faultless Giants conversion record to give his side a 6-0 lead.

The visitors remained on the front-foot offering their hosts very little in terms of chances whilst also looking threatening at the other end.

Giants forced a goal-line drop out and only a knock-on three plays later stopped them scoring again in a very positive opening twenty minutes.

The lead was soon into double figures as McGillvary scored his second try of pre-season.

After forcing a penalty, Giants had a full set in the Wakefield half and eventually the ball found McGillvary and as a surprise to absolutely nobody, the winger scored in the corner.

However, Sezer missed the resulting conversion so Giants had to settle for a 10-0 lead with fifteen first-half minutes remaining.

Just one minute later McGillvary should have doubled his account for the night but an uncharacteristic knock-on saved the home side. 

Trinity soon thought they had crossed for the first time but some superb defending by McGillvary denied the acrobatic Tom Johnstone a score in the corner.

This proved vital for Giants as Jake Wardle joined his brother on the scoresheet with an effort in the left corner following some quick hands by the Giants attack.

Sezer’s conversion this time was successful, and Giants headed into the break with a healthy and deserved 16-0 lead.

Giants started the second half as they had finished the first and forced an early knock-on, following that up by forcing a goal-line dropout.

The opening stages became littered with unforced errors from both sides as the pre-season rustiness kicked in.

Giants were far less convincing in the second period and had to settle for working on their goal line defence which, for most of the half, stood tall.

Giants had no real meaningful attack for the first thirty minutes of the second half with both teams being forced into changes through injuries.

Wakefield consistently tested the Giants defence and came within inches of scoring their first of the game but some resolute back-to-the-wall defending kept the hosts out.

McIntosh did have a chance to open his legs and score a full-length effort but the seventy-five minutes clearly took it’s toll and he was halted in his efforts.

Wakefield finally breached the seemingly impenetrable Giants line as Max Jowitt crossed in the corner for the hosts and the game finished 16-4 to Huddersfield.

Giants offered very little offensively in the second half which may worry Simon Woolford but as a defensive performance, there can’t be too much to complain about for the team in claret and gold.