Giants fall to disappointing derby defeat

Huddersfield Giants (4) 12

Tries: Pryce, Wood, Trout

Goals:

Drop Goals:

Leeds Rhinos (10) 18

Tries: Handley, Myler, Lui

Goals: Handley (2), Newman

Drop Goals:

Huddersfield Giants: Golding; Senior, Wardle, Cudjoe, Wood; Pryce, Cogger; Trout, Peats, Wilson; Jones, Greenwood; Yates

Interchange: English, Hewitt, Russel, Peteru

Leeds Rhinos: Myler; Briscoe, Newman, Briscoe, Handley; McLelland, Lui; Tetevano, Leeming, Thompson; Donaldson, Gannon; O'Connor

Interchange: Holroyd, Dwyer, Walters, Vuniyayawa

Huddersfield Giants fell to back-to-back Betfred Super League defeats as they lost to Leeds Rhinos at Headingley by 18-12. 

Huddersfield welcomed Oliver Russell back into the line-up, albeit from the bench, and continued with the partnership in the halves of Jack Cogger and Will Pryce. 

Huddersfield had the first chance of the game, playing through the hands to release Sam Wood, who dribbled the ball up just before the try-line in the 6th minute of play. Both sides continued to feel each other out in the opening 10 minutes with neither side getting the upper hand.

It would be the hosts, however, who got the opening try of the game, Ash Handley finishing a Tom Briscoe break to give the Rhinos the lead. He would push the conversion wide however, and the hosts lead stayed at four. 

A phenomenal move down the right hand side released Will Pryce in the 25th minute, as the Giants drew level. Pryce couldn't, however, give the Giants the lead from the boot and the sides were level going into the final 15 of the first half. 

With 4 minutes remaining in the first half, a well placed kick from Robert Lui put the Giants edge partnership in a pickle, and Richie Myler pounced on the loose ball after a slip to score. Handley would make no mistake the second time and the Rhinos would take a 6 point lead into the sheds at the half. 

The hosts would wait seven second half minutes to open the scoring in the final stanza, through the boot of Ash Handley, after an offside penalty gave Leeds the opportunity to have a pop at goal from short-range and centre field. 

After Ash Handley was taken off for an injury, Harry Newman took over kicking duty and would be given a chance at goal from the tee soon after, which he dispatched from in front of the posts to give the side a ten point lead.

Robert Lui would then extend the hosts leads on the 60 minute mark, finding a gap in the Giants defence after a quick play-the-ball. Newman couldn't add the extras and the lead stood, with just under 20 minutes remaining, at 14 points. 

A bad hit on Nathaniel Peteru would see Tetevano spend the remainder of the game in the bin for the hosts, and the Giants were able to take full advantage with seven left on the clock, as Sam Wood scored on the second time of asking on the overlap. Pryce was unable to add the extras from the touchline and the Giants would go into the final few minutes of the game with a ten point deficit. 

The Giants would give themselves a glimmer of hope through Owen Trout, who scored leaving 1 second on the clock. Huddersfield forwent the conversion to go straight to the kick-off, but from the resulting play were unable to find the gap to score, and would lose back to back games in the Betfred Super League.