Match Report | Wigan Warriors (Away)

The match report from Friday 30th June as the Giants travelled to Wigan.

Wet, Warm, Wigan. On Friday night the Huddersfield Giants travelled across to Lancashire to face Wigan Warriors for the second time this Super League season. It was a big game for the Giants and even bigger game for Giants academy graduate Fenton Rogers who would for the first time in his short Rugby League career take to the field as a first team Huddersfield Giants player. Everyone at the club would like to congratulate Fenton for all his hard work to get him to this point. Fenton would however take to the field from the subs bench later in the game.

With the rain still pouring down, the Giants got the game underway...

Three minutes in and the Giants had an opportunity following a drop ball. Out the back of a scrum in the centre field the Giants made their way to the Wigan 10, and a cute kick through from Lolohea was missed my the smallest of margins by Chris McQueen. The Giants would, however, receive a Goal Line Dropout (GLD), but couldn't make anything of it.

After 8 minutes, Wigan would find the line. A mistake from Jermaine McGillvary would gift Wigan a scrum on the Giants 10, and from set Abbas Miski would go into the right corner. Harry Smith couldn't convert. Wigan 4 - 0 Giants.

After 15 minutes the Giants were more than in the game, and in fact you could argue they had been the better side. Forcing more GLD and confidently making their way into threatening areas. 

30 Minutes in and not much had changed. Both sides coming forward quickly, both side kicking for corners but neither finding a breakthrough.

In the 35th minute, a proud moment as Fenton Rogers came onto the field for his first team debut.

With three minutes left in the half, Wigan scored their second of the game. An almost carbon copy of the first as Miski found the corner yet again. This time Smith was successful. And that is how we would go into HT. Wigan 10 - 0 Giants. 

After a good start to the second half, a number of penalties for gave them the front foot and as a result Jai Field found space run through the Giants back line to extend Wigan's lead. Wigan 16 - 0 Giants.

With 18 minutes to go, the Giants thought they had scored when McQueen broke through the line and only needed to get the ball down, but the Wigan defence did a brilliant job of keeping McQueen on his feet and eventually carrying him dead.

On the 65th minute Wigan found the corner again. A kick through from the centre was met at the final moment by Liam Marshall. Smith converted again. Wigan 22 - 0 Giants.

Giants again thought they'd scored in the final 10 minutes. Lolohea played through a sprinting Naiqama, but as Kevin ran to the line the referee called it back for a forward pass.

Finally. With four minutes left on the clock, Jake Bibby did a beautiful job after he received the ball to spin, find space and eventually find the line. Jake Connor then did a fantastic job to get his conversion. Wigan 22 - 6 Giants. 

Not a game we will look back on fondly, with multiple errors costing the Giants throughout. 

Final score. Wigan Warriors 22 - 6 Huddersfield Giants.

As always thank you to every Giants fan who made the long journey over to Wigan, we appreciate everyone of you! See you in a much sunnier Perpignan.

HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS – Jake Connor, Jermaine McGillvary, Kevin Naiqama, Jake Bibby, Leroy Cudjoe, Tui Lolohea, Oliver Russell, Chris Hill, Adam Milner, Oliver Wilson, Harvey Livett, Chris McQueen, Luke Yates.

Interchanges – Nathan Peats, Seb Ikahihifo, Sam Hewitt, Fenton Rogers. 18th Man, Esan Marsters

Final Score | Wigan Warriors 22 – 6 Huddersfield Giants

TRIES

Jake Bibby

GOALS

Jake Connor