Furious Huddersfield boss Ian Watson insists he’ll get it right despite fearing for his job after being utterly humiliated by rampant Leeds.
Awful Giants crashed to a seventh defeat in eight games as Rhinos ran riot in front of legend Rob Burrow. Sam Walters (2), Rhyse Martin (2) David Fusitu’a, Richie Myler, Ash Handley and James McDonnell all scored in an emphatic 54-0 rout. Watson blasted: “It was a terrible beginning, a terrible middle and a terrible end.
“We were nowhere near, there was no resilience and it was not good enough. It was embarrassing. I didn’t see it coming. This group has got to stand up. You can’t get embarrassed like that and not want to respond on the back of that If you don’t there’s something wrong with you.”
Asked if he still believes he’s the man to turn things around, the ex-Great Britain assistant fired: “I’ll get it right. It’s not going to be nice but I’ll get it right. I know what I want to do and what I want to achieve. There’ll be some casualties on the back end of that but I’ll die on my sword. I wouldn’t say I’m not worried (about being sacked). It’s a job I love.”
Blake Austin took inspiration from Burrow as he zipped around Headingley cutting humiliated Huddersfield to shreds. Rhinos icon Burrow, 40, made an emotional appearance at his old stomping ground tonight as part of the club’s MND Awareness match. And when the main action kicked off, Aussie stand-off Austin played like Burrow - diagnosed with MND four years ago - in his pomp with a dazzling display that left shambolic Huddersfield chasing shadows.
It was a perfect response from Leeds who’d been embarrassed by becoming the first team this season to lose to bottom-placed, 12-man Wakefield in their last outing. Huddersfield welcomed back ex-England winger Jermaine McGillvary for his first game since April. But he was powerless to prevent this woeful display unfolding amid speculation that ex-St Helens boss Justin Holbrook could be heading back to Super League after being sacked by Gold Coast.
Things got worse when Innes Senior was sin-binned in the second half and Leeds - whose hooker Jarrod O’Connor has signed a new three-year deal - kept their foot on the throat to end a four-match losing run. Rhinos boss Rohan Smith: “It was a really strong performance on a really special night. This club does so much more than just worrying about winning games.
"The way everyone paid tribute to Rob and his family, it was a fitting performance to acknowledge that. They’re doing things for the greater good. And I’m really pleased with how we played.”
