1 week ago
13
Betfred Super League
Warrington Wolves (6) 16
Tries: Sneyd, King, Jake Thewlis Goals: Sneyd 2
Huddersfield Giants (14) 24
Tries: Gagai 2, Bibby, Milne Goals: Flanagan Jr 4
Struggling Huddersfield held on for just their second Super League win of the season as Warrington's attempted comeback fell short.
The away side took the lead through tries from Jacob Gagai and Jake Bibby before Marc Sneyd got the hosts on the scoreboard.
Taane Milne's score helped the Giants to reassert their advantage after the break before Gagai's second of the day put the visitors three scores in front.
Toby King quickly got the Wolves back in the game and Jake Thewlis's spectacular finish gave them brief hope but Sneyd could not convert the goal and the Giants claimed the win.
Sam Burgess' men, beaten in the Challenge Cup final by Hull KR two weeks ago, have now won two of their past nine Super League games.
Wakefield's impressive win over second-placed Wigan on Friday means the Wire are now four points off the play-off places with 15 games gone.
Huddersfield, whose only previous win this year came against Hull FC at Magic Weekend at the start of May, move two points clear of bottom side Salford.
The visitors went in front after 15 minutes when Tui Lolohea intercepted a George Williams pass and charged down the field before handing off for Gagai.
Things went from bad to worse for Warrington when the away side made the most of a penalty for a late shot on Matt Frawley when Bibby went over in the corner.
Sneyd showed good feet to get the Wolves back in it but the impressive George Flanagan kicked a penalty before the break to give the Giants a 14-6 lead at the interval.
Centre Milne forced his way over for his first Super League try and Lolohea looked to have put it to bed only for his score to be ruled out by the video referee for an obstruction.
The reprieve was brief for Warrington though, as Milne handed off for Gagai to score his second of the day after they had been gifted good field position by a handling error from King on a 40/20 attempt from Lolohea.
Sneyd went short from the kick-off and, after Warrington kept possession, King caught a subsequent kick from the half-back to breathe life into an unlikely comeback for the home side.
Jake Thewlis's brilliant finish, after a pass from brother Josh, looked like it could set up a grandstand finish but Sneyd could not kick the extras which would have reduced the arrears to six points with five minutes to play.
Huddersfield fans saw their side fall to a last-gasp defeat by Wigan last week and had not seen their side win an away league game since April last year so will have been relieved the Giants saw out the final minutes without incident.
They will now look to build on this result when they travel to out-of-form Catalans Dragons next Saturday.
Warrington will look to get back to winning ways and kick-start their flagging play-off bid at home to Hull FC on Friday.
Warrington Wolves: Josh Thewlis, Jake Thewlis, Tai, Wrench, King, Williams, Sneyd, Yates, Crowther, Vaughan, Stone, Fitzgibbon, Currie.
Interchanges: Powell, Thomas, Philbin, Wood.
Huddersfield Giants: Flanagan Jr, Gagai, Milne, Halsall, Bibby, Lolohea, Frawley, Cudjoe, Greenwood, Hewitt, Powell, Woolford, King
Interchanges: Golding, English, Burgess, Rushton.
Referee: James Vella
