This had been billed as a dress rehearsal for the Challenge Cup final in a fortnight’s time but at this rate, Huddersfield could yet have a say in the Super League title race as well as this month’s final at Tottenham. The Giants, appearing in their first final since 2009, are now fourth in the league and improving every week, underlined by this latest victory against second-placed Wigan.
Only a compelling comeback from Wigan in the final quarter made it a contest on a night when the cup finalists rested 15 players between them, perhaps with an eye on their tussle for the biggest prize in the game later this month. But led by the outstanding Tui Lolohea from start to finish, it was Huddersfield who were worthy winners as their ascent up the league continued.
“There’s a great energy about the guys at the moment and everyone is buzzing,” their coach, Ian Watson, said. Despite dominating the first half, they led by just six at half-time. Tries from Louis Senior and Ricky Leutele, with Lolohea having a hand in both, moved them 12-0 ahead before Wigan responded with a try from Sam Halsall as half-time approached.
“We’ve got to learn some lessons from this because some of the things we did were below par,” Wigan’s coach, Matt Peet, said. They missed the chance to go above the league leaders, St Helens, here and it was clear they were more affected by rotation than their opponents.
Huddersfield were certainly grateful for Lolohea, though. It was his long-range pass for Senior which moved the Giants further ahead after the restart before the full-back laid on a try for Jake Wardle. At that stage, Huddersfield led 22-6 and victory appeared to be somewhat of a formality. But credit must be given to Wigan’s young side, who rallied in the final quarter.
A try for Halsall followed by a brace for the young forward Matty Nicholson set up a thrilling final few minutes, but at the other end Théo Fages’s perfect kick for Sam Hewitt, followed by Senior’s hat-trick try in the final seconds, calmed any nerves among home fans. Peet insisted that this result means Huddersfield have struck a psychological blow ahead of the cup final on 28 May. We only have a fortnight to wait to find out if he is right.
