| Betfred Super League |
|---|
| Huddersfield (20) 42 |
| Tries: Leeming 2, McGillvary 2, Roberts, McIntosh, Matagi Cons: Gaskell 6 Pens: Gaskell |
| Hull KR (2) 8 |
| Tries: Hauraki Cons: Shaw Pens: Shaw |
Huddersfield Giants scored seven tries as they climbed off the bottom of Super League with victory over Hull KR.
Hooker Kruise Leeming and wing Jermaine McGillvary both scored two tries each.
Oliver Roberts, full-back Darrell McIntosh and prop Suaia Matagi got the Giants’ other three tries, while Lee Gaskell landed six conversions and a penalty for a 14-point haul.
Second-row forward Weller Hauraki scored Rovers’ only try, converted by Ryan Shaw, who kicked an early penalty.
The Super League is upside down?
Huddersfield’s second win in three games lifted them off the foot of the table and up two places.
That leaves both the last two winners of Super League – 2018 champions Wigan and 2017 winners Leeds – bottom of the table with just two points each.
Coming on top of their impressive first win of the season, prior to last weekend’s defeat by St Helens, this was the first time Huddersfield have posted 40 points in 2019.
Rovers actually started well, forcing the Giants to drop out three times from under their own posts in the first five minutes before Shaw gave his side the lead with a straight-forward two-pointer.
But, from then on, there was really only one team in it as the visitors looked completely off the pace and unable to match their hosts’ sizeable threat.
The one positive for the Robins was the return of hooker Shaun Lunt against his old club, coming off the bench in his first appearance since last September after being hospitalised with a serious case of blood poisoning.
Huddersfield coach Simon Woolford told BBC Radio Leeds:
“It’s nice to have a game in the bag so early in the second half. You sort of knew they weren’t coming back from that.
“A lot of guys had their best game so far. We were well worth it. And there were a lot of positives, apart from the scoreline.
“We’ve had injury issues. We were hampered by Lee Gaskell not being fit for the first three games, but we’ve got some bodies back now.
“We played well against Wigan and also did in patches against St Helens last week, but this was a complete performance.”
Hull KR coach Tim Sheens:
“We were outgunned in the middle and their outside backs and the nine (Leeming) really hurt us.
“But it was always going to be tough for us. Because we had three 18-year-old academy players on the bench, we really needed to make a positive start when we had a strong initial 13 on the park.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t prove the case and it made it a tough night. Everyone is understandably disappointed with the way things went.
“All being well, we’ll be getting a number of senior players back over the next few weeks, and that’s clearly going to help.”
Huddersfield: McIntosh; McGillvary, Turner, I Senior, Uate; Gaskell, Frawley; English, Leeming, Matagi, Joe Wardle, Mellor, Lawrence.
Interchanges: Ikahihifo, Roberts, Hewitt, Ta’ai.
Hull KR: Hall; Shaw, Keinhorst, Vaivai, Oakes; Drinkwater, Atkin; Masoe, Lee, Lawler, Hauraki, Tomkins, Addy.
Interchanges: Bardle, Wallis, Lunt, Rooks.
Referee: Gary Dolan (RFL).
