Huddersfield win ding-dong battle

Huddersfield Giants 36-24 Castleford Tigers

Huddersfield Giants (18) 36

Tries: Trout, Yates, McGillvary, Leutele (3)

Goals: Pryce (6)

Drop-Goals:

Sin-Bin: Levi (37'), McGillvary (55') 

Castleford Tigers (0) 24

Tries: Trueman (2), Fonua, Eden 

Goals: O'Brien (3)

Drop-Goals:

Sin-Bin: Trueman (31'), Lawler (62')

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Leutele, I. Senior; Russell, Pryce; Hill, Levi, Trout; McQueen, Roberts; Yates

Interchanges: English, O'Brien, Ikahihifo, Greenwood

Castleford Tigers: O'Brien, Eden, Turner, Fonua, Olpherts; Trueman, McShane; Smith, Lawler, Matagi; Sutcliffe, Blair; Westerman

Interchanges: Watts, Edwards, Hepi, Robb

Huddersfield Giants held off a Castleford second-half comeback as they went four from five in the Betfred Super League, with a magnificent 36-24 win at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Huddersfield welcomed Danny Levi back into the starting line-up after a two match suspension, with Adam O'Brien beginning the game on the bench. Sebastine Ikahihifo celebrated his 100th Super League appearance also, 73 of those appearances coming in Claret & Gold. The Castleford side featured a number of familiar faces, with Jordan Turner, Greg Eden, Suaia Matagi and Kenny Edwards featuring in Amber and Black. 

Huddersfield would strike first in the match after 9 minutes courtesy of Owen Trout, with the forward crashing over from short range. A brief check from the Video Referee confirmed the score. Pryce would add the extras to improve on the Giants fast start. Five minutes later, after another trip upstairs, the Giants would be ten-points to the good, with Luke Yates crashing over on the back of a fabulous lateral kick. Pryce added the extras again, and with the first quarter of the match coming to a close, the Giants had a two score lead. 

The Giants thought they had scored a third a few minutes later, with a potential penalty try on Chris McQueen. The play was checked again by the Video Referee, but a penalty was given for obstruction instead on Jake Trueman, who was sent to the bin for his transgression. Pryce hit his third of the day with the boot, and the Giants lead was 14 points with 8 minutes left on the first half clock. Jermaine McGillvary would get the Giants third of the first half with five left to play, finishing an excellent touchline to touchline move. Pryce couldn't nail the conversion from the near touchline, however, but the Giants had a healthy lead. 

With three left on the clock for the first half, the Giants found themselves down to twelve, with hooker Danny Levi seeing yellow for a tackle on Joe Westerman. The Tigers attempted to get over for the first score of the game, but fumbled thanks to some resolute Giants scrambling defence. The two sides went into the sheds for half-time with a Giants lead of eighteen points. 

As the two sides came out for the second half, the Tigers would be the ones who started with a renewed imputes. Jake Truman scored after two first-half minutes and from the resulting kick-off, the Giants kicked the ball straight into touch, giving the visitors great field position to narrow the lead down to six points with a man advantage for a further two minutes. A tense set 30 metres from the Giants line was the result, but again some excellent Giants defending saw the Giants regain possession unscathed. 

Castleford kept up the pressure and forced the second half's first Goal Line Drop Out after a hanging kick from Jake Trueman was collected by Innes Senior, but the winger was unable to prevent the kick-chase from forcing him behind his own goal-line. After Joe Westerman attempted a sloppy late offload on the fifth tackle however, Matty English was able to regain possession and the Giants once again returned unscathed. 

The visitors' continued their assault on the Giants line and thought they had scored their second try of the half courtesy of Mahe Fonua, who emerged from a pile of bodies over the line and claimed to have scored. James Child once again sent the try upstairs and after a lengthy review, the try was given. O'Brien added the extras expertly, and we had a six point game with 28 on the clock.

Huddersfield thought they had stopped the momentum of another attacking Castleford set as Greg Eden dropped the ball on the final tackle. James Child disagreed, however, and deemed that Jermaine McGillvary had hit Greg Eden with a shoulder charge, and sent him for ten leaving the Giants in the lurge. Cas would score twice in the aftermath. First through Greg Eden, then through Jake Trueman, scoring his second of the day. O'Brien would expertly dispatch both conversions, completing a 24 minute second half comeback for the visiting side. 

After 62 minutes, the game would see it's fourth sin-binning as George Lawler would see ten, this time for a dangerous tackle at midfield. Huddersfield wrestled control of the game on the resulting set, and scored thanks to a powerful line-run from Ricky Leutele. Will Pryce hit a clutch conversion from five metres inside the touchline, and the game was level after thirty points in just under 25 second half minutes. Leutele would hit again with 8 remaining in the match, this time after a well worked overload engineered by Oliver Russell, finished by the Samoan International. Pryce would hit a sublime conversion from the touchline, and the Giants extended their lead to six points. 

With two minutes remaining in the game, Ricky Leutele made it a hat trick on the day with yet another tremendous finish in the near corner. Pryce hit another conversion and as the clock struck zero, Huddersfield Giants completed their best start to a Super League season since 2020. Next up, a trip to Hull FC.