Giants book playoff spot with comprehensive win

Huddersfield Giants (10) 36

Tries: Russell, L. Senior (2), Cudjoe, Lolohea, Leutele, McQueen

Goals: Russell (4)

Drop-Goals:

Castleford Tigers (4) 10

Tries: Eden, Mellor

Goals: Richardson

Drop-Goals:

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea; Cudjoe, King, Leutele, L. Senior; Russell, Fages; Wilson, Levi, Hill; Hewitt, McQueen, Yates

Interchange: English, Greenwood, Mason, O'Brien

Castleford Tigers: Eden; Faraimo, Sutcliffe, Fonua, Olphers; O'Brien, Richardson; Lawler, McHane, Westerman; Blair, Mellor, Edwards  

Interchange: Turner, Smith, Mamo, Martin

Huddersfield Giants booked a 2022 Betfred Super League playoff place with a comprehensive 36-10 win against Castleford Tigers at the John Smith's Stadium courtesy of a double from Louis Senior and tries from Chris McQueen, Tui Lolohea, Ricky Leutele, Olly Russell and Leroy Cudjoe. 

The Visitors would open the scoring after just 4 minutes courtesy of former Giants Greg Eden, who found the gap in the Giants defence to secure a quick start. Richardson was unable to add the extras, however, skewing his attempt to the left of the posts. 

Huddersfield had a great chance to level proceedings in the 10th minute, Tui Lolohea slid a ball into the in-goal area and nearly found a welcoming party of three, but neither Chris McQueen nor Leroy Cudjoe could control the ball to level the scores. 

A carbon copy of the play that nearly succeeded in the 10th minute finally unlocked the Tigers defence in the 19th minute, as Olly Russell connected with a Tui Lolohea kick in behind the Castleford defence, before adding the extras to give the Giants their first lead of the game as the quarter came to a close. With 12 left on the first half clock, Louis Senior would extend the Giants first-half lead with an acrobatic finish in the corner, which was awarded after a brief review upstairs. The two sides would go in at half-time with a score of 10-4 in favour of the Claret & Gold. 

The Fords would get the scoring underway from the second stanza, courtesy of Alex Mellor, who picked the line expertly to cross over. Richardson, the man who set up the try, would then hit the extras to level the game. 

But Huddersfield would hit back with two quick tries, first courtesy of Leroy Cudjoe, then Tui Lolohea; the first saw the Giants stalwart convert a simple chance after a dropped bomb, the second from an excellent Toby King break setting up Tui Lolohea to put the Giants in control going into the final corner. Olly Russell nailed both conversion to give the Giants a 12-point lead with 25 on the clock. 

The Giants would make sure of the result with another quick double-salvo, this time on the opposite flank: firstly Ricky Leutele got on the end of an excellent move to score on his return, and then Louis Senior would score directly from the restart. Olly Russell would skew the first attempt, but score the second and the Giants extended their lead with the final 15 approaching to 22 points. Chris McQueen would power over with ten remaining to further extend their lead, and the Giants were put firmly in control. 

They would hold that lead until the end of the game, as the Giants would see out their 26 point lead to book their spot in the race for the Big Dance, this September. Next up for the Giants, a chance to book a Top 4 spot with a trip to Headingley to face Leeds Rhinos, next Wednesday night.