Huddersfield Giants suffered a defeat of 8-32 against Salford Red Devils at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Esan Marsters was chosen to step in for the injured Ash Golding on the wing, and the team’s captain, Luke Yates, made a return following a foot injury.
The opening ten minutes were dominated by Salford, yet errors in their gameplay led to squandering numerous opportunities near the Giants’ goalposts. Notably, the solid defence displayed by the returning Luke Yates prevented Salford from making significant progress.
A pivotal moment arrived when Jake Bibby skillfully collected an Olly Russell kick, resulting in a try against his former team and pushing the Giants into the lead.
However, Salford swiftly retaliated. Former Giants player Ryan Brierely capitalised on a crash ball to speed over the try line.
A sequence of penalties aided Ian Watson’s team in gaining an advantageous field position. The most recent penalty was converted by Olly Russell, restoring Salford’s lead at 8-6.
As the first half drew to a close, the visitors managed to regain their lead. Sam Stone capitalised on lackluster defending during the last moments of the half, bulldozing through Sam Hewitt to score. This left the score at 8-12 as the teams headed into the break.
The second half commenced much like the first, marked by cautious play. However, the visitors were the first to break the deadlock. A bouncing ball was seized upon by Sam Stone, who reacted quickest to an Andy Ackers grubber kick, securing his second try of the game.
Salford continued to dominate, with Ken Sio winning a race to score after a kick from Brodie Croft, thereby extending the Red Devils’ lead to 8-24.
Although Sam Halsall appeared to score in the corner following a clever kick from Olly Russell that forced a goal-line drop-out, Paul Rowley’s squad swiftly transitioned into the attack and secured another try through Chris Atkin. The replacement hooker supported a break led by Kallum Watkins, racing over the try line beneath the posts.
In the final moments, a late penalty was successfully converted by Marc Sneyd, concluding the game with a score of 8-32 in favour of Salford.
As a result, Salford claimed the two points, making it increasingly challenging for the Giants to secure a spot in the top six.
Final Score: Huddersfield Giants 08 – 32 Salford Red Devils
