Two sides with very different needs met in the Thursday fixture at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield.
The two points on offer would lift the Giants into seventh place in the Super League and push the Leeds Rhinos into a middle eights position. Hull FC would remain in touch with the top four if they could get the win, but a loss could see them with five points to make up to get into the play off positions.
Danny Brough was back from another suspension for the Giants while Hull FC were still suffering from a massive injury and suspension list. Although the Airlie Birds were the bookies favourites, the promise was of a close match.
The opening fourteen minutes were predominantly made up of the Huddersfield Giants defending within their own twenty but it was the home side who scored on their first real attack as Daniel Smith hit the line at speed and crashed over under the sticks. Danny Brough added the extras from under the uprights.
Bureta Faraimo timed his run perfectly to ground an Albert Kelly grubber by the right corner flag to open the FC account on twenty-one. Jake Connor converted from the touchline to level the scores.
On twenty-eight the Giants were back in front as Aaron Murphy pounced on a Sebastine Ikahihifo grubber which had taken a richochet off Kelly to ground. Brough was again accurate with the boot for 12-6.
Four minutes later Jordan Rankin skinned the FC defence to round behind the uprights to give Brough a simple conversion to double the home lead. A Brough drop goal from under the sticks thirty seconds from the end of the half edged the Giants into a 19-6 half time lead.
The second half was ten minutes old when the Giants went in again as Darnell McIntosh was on hand on the overlap to take the final pass and run outside the FC defender to ground in the corner. Brough kicked brilliantly from the touchline for 25-6, the game slipping from FC.
Within two minutes of the restart Hakim Miloudi burrowed over the line through a big crowd of Giants tacklers to ground. Connor added the extra two.
He points were secured by the Giants on seventy one as McIntosh went twenty-five metres down the left wing to dive and score one-handed in the corner. Brough slid the conversion attempt just wide of the uprights but at 29-12 there was no route back for FC.
Danny Houghton grabbed a seventy-seventh minute consolation which was quickly converted by Connor for 18-29 but it was too little and too late.
In terms of the outcome of the season this was a massive win for the Giants and a disasterous night for Hull FC. The Giants are now in the top eight, jumping over the Leeds Rhinos and Catalans Dragons but Hull FC remain in fifth and depending on results over the rest of the weekend they could find themselves well adrift of the all-important top four and a play off place. It was an impressive and complete performance from the Giants who, with three wins in the last five, appear to have turned the corner and who are in a good run of form under their new coach.
Giants: Rankin (T), McGillvary, Wardle, Gaskell, McIntosh (2T), Turner, Brough (4G, DG), Ta’ai, O’Brien, Lawrence, Mellor, Murphy (T), Smith (T). Subs: Ikahihifo, Hinchcliffe, Roberts, Clough.
FC: Miloudi (T), Faraimo (T), Scott, Tuimavave, Logan, Kelly, Connor (3G), Paea, Houghton (T), Taylor, Hadley, Minichiello, Green. Subs: Washbrook, Fash, Downs, Matongo.
Referee: Robert Hicks.
Half-Time: 19-6.
Full-Time: 29-18.
Attendance: .
