Round 4
Huddersfield Giants 20 l. Hull FC 24

2009 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Hull FC continues impressive start edging out Giants
Sat March 7, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Resurgent Hull FC leapfrogged defending engage Super League champions Leeds Rhinos into top spot after maintaining their impressive start to the season with a fourth win from as many games.

A masterclass display from stand-off Richard Horne was the highlight against a Huddersfield Giants side who never fully recovered from a wretched first-half performance at the Galpharm Stadium to go down 24-12.

Hull were also indebted to the silky skills of former Giants captain Chris Thorman while the victory was sweet, too, for football manager Jon Sharp, who was sacked by Huddersfield last June.

Fresh from their first League win at Bradford Bulls for 40 years, it was Huddersfield who made a dream start with a try from skipper Brett Hodgson after just two minutes.

Craig Hall, a third-choice full-back for Hull in the absence of Motu Tony and Todd Byrne, fumbled Luke Robinson's high kick on his own line and Hodgson was on hand to touch down.

Hall made amends seven minutes later, however, by providing the final pass for winger Tom Briscoe to score an equalising try and Hull went on to boss the show, thanks largely to their opponents' generosity.

Danny Tickle's conversion edged the visitors in front and they extended their lead on 15 minutes when second rower Willie Manu offloaded from a two-man tackle and Horne jinked his way past four defenders to touch down for his 101st try for the club.

The Giants defence lived dangerously, with Lee Radford having a try disallowed on 23 minutes, and the home side continually put themselves under pressure with a series of handling errors.

Huddersfield pulled a try back during a rare foray into Hull territory when former Harlequins RL back rower Joe Walsh took Scott Moore's pass from dummy half to touch down just seven minutes after going as substitute for his debut.

Hodgson's conversion cut the deficit to just two points but Hull restored their eight-point lead six minutes before half-time when substitute Jamie Thackray powered his way over at the corner after Huddersfield failed to deal with Horne's high kick.

The Giants had more defending to do at the start of the second half but there was a more solid look about them following coach Nathan Brown's pep talk and they were again the first to score.

Snappy handling by Moore and Hodgson got stand-off Kevin Brown through a chink the Hull defence for the Giants' third try but Hodgson was once more off target with the goal attempt.

Hull sent on new signing Sam Moa, the Tongan World Cup prop, for his engage Super League debut and he immediately made his presence felt in a 13-minute cameo show with a crunching tackle on Hodgson.

Yet another handling error by the Giants deep inside their own half then gifted Hull a perfect attacking position and they took full advantage, with centre Kirk Yeaman racing onto Thorman's expertly-judged grubber kick to touch down.

Tickle was off target for the first time but made amends with a 40-metre penalty to open up a 10-point lead, which was a big enough cushion to enable them to withstand a late Giants onslaught.

Huddersfield saved their best for last, with man-of-the-match Brown sending winger David Hodgson over for a consolation try in injury time, Brett Hodgson kicking his second goal.


Airlie News: Hull FC v Huddersfield
Thu March 5, 2009
Source: www.hullfc.com

With three wins out of three Hull FC are desperately keen to maintain their winning start to the season, but Head Coach Richard Agar knows his side face the toughest test yet when they travel to the Galpharm Stadium and take on Huddersfield.

Under new coach Nathan Brown the Giants have made an impressive start to the season and they have won two of their three games, which included an historic win over Bradford Bulls.

It was the Giants first win on Bradford soil since 1969 and that alone will have given then a massive confidence booster for tomorrow night's game.

Agar is well aware of the task his side faces and said: "I think they have started the season really well and what has caught the eye is that they are really playing for each other.

"That has been a big feature of their game so far, plus the two halves have started the year in good nick and they have the added quality of Brett Hodgson at full back.

"Brett is new to Super League and he brings something different to Huddersfield from the back. He has the ability to come into the line; he runs some intelligent lines and his timing and subtlety of hand makes him a dangerous player on attack. Finally, he reads the game particularly well - he will be a threat to us.

"Huddersfield have started very much with the bit between their teeth and they have put up three very good performances and this is a big test for us."

But Agar believes such is the closeness of the competition right now that anyone can beat anymore, and he added: "If you don't turn up with the right attitude anyone can beat anyone in this league as the results have shown already this season.

"That is the way they (the authorities) want the competition to run and as we have already seen unfancied teams getting one over the more fancied sides.

"It is all about turning up with the right attitude and going through the processes that will put you in a position to get the right result.

"We have turned up with our heads firmly screwed on in the last three games and put ourselves in with a chance of winning.

"Last week we executed the game plan well, stayed patient, was confident and got the result.

"It is very much same again because I feel we are coming up against two well-matched teams and both teams will have a fair bit of confidence going into the game."

Field position is going to be a key factor in deciding the game and Agar said: "Huddersfield are a team, which makes you earn every inch. They are enthusiastic and aggressive defensively and their line speed is good.

"They throw numbers into the tackle and make you work really hard to get to their end."

Hull FC squad: Hall, Calderwood, G Horne, Yeaman, Briscoe, R Horne, Thorman, Dowes, Berrigan, Cusack, Manu, Tickle, Radford, Houghton, Washbrook, Thackray, Maloney, Lee, Moa.

Huddersfield Giants squad: B. Hodgson, Aspinwall, Brown, Whatuira, D. Hodgson, Robinson, Faiumu, Lolesi, Raleigh, Wild, Jackson, Mason, Korkidas, Kirmond, Lawrence, Moore, Cudjoe, Walsh, Larne.

Home: played 12, won 9, drawn 1, lost 2, for 351, against 205
Away: played 13, won 9, drawn 0, lost 4, for 312, against 260
Neutral: played 1, won 1, drawn 0, lost 0, for 21, against 10
Total: played 26, won 19, drawn 1, lost 6, for 684, against 475

Milestones:

Second row Danny Tickles needs 20 points to reach 500 for the club since he arrived from Wigan Warriors in 2007.

Centre Kirk Yeaman is seven tries away from his 100 for the club.

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