11th January 2013

GIANTS BEATEN IN OPENING TRIAL GAME

Defeat for the Claret & Gold at Langtree Park

Huddersfield Giants lost out to St Helens in their opening pre-season trial game by 26 points to 0 at Langtree Park on Friday night.

Saints 26
Tries: Roby, Laffranchi, Wellens, Greenwood, Percival

Goals: Turner 2, Lomax

Giants 0 

Both clubs fielded strong starting line-ups, with Saints in particular sending the vast majority of their big guns straight into battle.

While the Giants were without seven senior men, the hosts were only lacking first-choice players Tony Puletua, Josh Perry and Gary Wheeler.

That didn’t prevent Huddersfield making a promising start, however, with new prop signing Craig Kopczak taking the ball up strongly and young winger Matty Dawson producing several promising runs.

The Giants were also forced to come up with some rock-solid early defence, although one strong 12th-minute effort from Jason Chan unfortunately resulted in the powerful back-rower having to leave the field with an injury to his left leg, and within moments Saints had inflicted further misery as James Roby crossed for the opening score, converted by Jordan Turner.

The lead was doubled in the 25th minute when Anthony Laffranchi crashed over from close range as the more experienced Saints’ side began to make their mark.

But it was still far from being an uneven contest, with Anthony Mullally, Scott Grix and Shaun Lunt all held on the line by a tested home defence – even after St Helens had worked a smart move for Paul Wellens to finish in the corner to make it 16-0 at the interval.

That lead was up to 22 within three minutes of the restart as Joe Greenwood strolled over and Jonny Lomax converted.

With referee James Child penalising the Giants around the ruck on numerous occasions they remained firmly on the back foot and from one typical offence – Huddersfield were penalised 15 times – the position was created for Mark Percival to stroll over for the final try with nine minutes remaining to seal the visitors fate.

Half time Saints 16 Giants 0

Saints: Wellens; Makinson, Turner, Jones, Meli; Gaskell, Lomax; Laffranchi, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Wilkin, Manu. Subs: Gardner, Hohaia, Flanagan, Forster, Ashe, Greenwood, Walmsley, Walker, Hand, Yates, Speakman, Percival, Tilley.

Huddersfield: Grix; Dawson, Cudjoe, Murphy, George; Brough, Robinson; Kopczak, Faiumu, Patrick, Chan, Cording, Lawrence. Subs: Wardle, Lunt, Blackmore, Ferguson, Mullally, Johnson, Mason, Aspinall, Connor, Miller, Leeming.