Super League was once again decimated by postponements due to Coronavirus with both Hull sides having their fixtures cancelled, one of the surviving games was between a Wigan Warriors side desperate to stop their slide down the table after a number of recent losses against a Huddersfield Giants side looking to climb the table after a dreadful start to the season.
The Giants gave debuts for loan signings Nathan Peats and Nathan Peteru who both arrived from the Leigh Centurions yesterday for the rest of the 2021 season. Wigan made a couple of small tweaks to the side to accommodate the suspension of Willie Isa.
The Warriors were favourites to end their five-game losing streak and get the two points, the Giants getting an eight-point start on the handicap coupon.
The Giants had the best possible start on eight minutes when Nathan Peats picked up a James Greenwood offload and passed to a charging Chris McQueen to crash over the line. Oliver Russell added the conversion, the Giants six to the good.
The Giants made it a double-whammy on twelve when Ollie Ashall-Bott did brilliantly to a Jake Wardle high kick to the corner under the challenge, and offload to Leroy Cudjoe to complete a five-metre run to score. Russell added the extra with aplomb.
Wigan had a try ruled out of twenty-one for hand in touch when Liam Marshall dived spectacularly for the line, the Giants breathed a big sigh of relief.
An awful attempt at a one-pointer from Russell on thirty-six went under the crossbar as the Giants looked to strike a blow before the interval. Instead it was the Warriors who scored before the break with Liam Marshall catching a Harry Smith grubber kick close to the line before riding two tackles to ground. Smith added the goal, the home side trailing by 6-12 at the interval.
Another Marshall try was ruled out on forty-four after Marshall received a forward pass but three minutes later Mitch Clark took a short ball from Joe Shorrocks to run the angle and slide over the line. Smith couldn’t hit the target with a simple looking conversion, the Warriors still two points adrift.
The Warriors were gaining the upper hand.
Wigan hit the front on sixty-one as Harry Smith supported Liam Farrell and took the pass to dive over down the left side. Smith added the extras to his own try for 16-12 and despite some adventurous attack from the Giants, the home side held on for a four-point victory.
This was an edgy encounter between two sides on their uppers, the Warriors coming from behind to take the win and seal the win that ends an abysmal losing run. The Giants bad form continues, despite a herculean effort from a side missing the majority of their first choice players.
Wigan Warriors: Hastings, Marshall (T), Gildart, Bibby, Hanley, Smith (T, 2G), Leuluai, Singleton, Powell, Clubb, Farrell, Pearce-Paul, Bullock. Subs: Byrne, Clark (T), Shorrocks, O’Neill.
Huddersfield Giants: Golding, Senior, Wardle, Cudjoe (T), Ashall-Bott, Wood, Russell (2G), Yates, Peats, Gavet, Jones, McQueen (T), Greenwood. Subs: Hewitt, Peteru, Stevens, Pryce.
Half-Time: 6-12.
Full-Time: 16-12.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 4-12, 6-12 : HT : 10-12, 14-12, 16-12 : FT.
