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Page last updated at 15:48 GMT, Saturday, 3 May 2008 16:48 UK
Millennium Magic day one
Millennium Stadium
Cardiff, 3/4 May 2008



Huddersfield (22) 34
Tries: Lawrence, Robinson, Raleigh 2, Jensen, Skandalis Goals: Robinson 3, Hemingway 2
Warrington (6) 36
Tries: Monaghan, Reardon, Briers 2, Bracek 2 Goals: Hicks 6

By Phil Gordos
BBC Sport at the Millennium Stadium

Michael Monaghan opened the scoring for Warrington
Michael Monaghan scored the first points of the weekend

Warrington overturned a 16-point deficit to edge Huddersfield in an exciting opening to Millennium Magic.

Michael Monaghan gave the Wolves an early lead but Michael Lawrence, Luke Robinson, Andy Raleigh and Rod Jensen put the Giants 22-6 up at half-time.

But second-half tries from Stuart Reardon, Lee Briers and Andy Bracek (2) put the Wolves 30-22 ahead.

John Skandalis pulled the Giants to within two points but Briers touched down to seal victory for Warrington.

The 12-try thriller provided a fantastic start to the second year of Millennium Magic, but the match looked to be over as a contest by half-time after a woeful first-half effort by Warrington.

The Wolves took the lead through Monaghan's try, but the rest of the half was Huddersfield's.

Lawrence - with the first try of his professional career - started the fightback, and Robinson put the Giants ahead after getting on the end of a clever grubber kick from Ryan Hudson.

Warrington briefly threatened with half-breaks from Briers and Kevin Penny, but Huddersfield grabbed another try when Raleigh finished off Robinson's break.

Giants full-back Jensen finished off a break involving Paul Whaturia and Shane Elford to put Huddersfield in total command going into the break but the second half was a different story for the Australian.

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Jensen spilled the ball with the tryline at his mercy early in the second half before Reardon - despite a suspected double movement - buried his way over the line for a try that started Warrington's fightback.

Briers added another try moments later after a mistake by Kevin Brown, and then Jensen made life very difficult for his side.

Jensen lost the ball close to his line twice, and Bracek was able to take advantage on both occasions to keep Warrington's momentum going.

Skandalis brought Huddersfield back to 30-28 but the score from Briers won the match for Warrington, despite a late Giants score from Raleigh.

The result ends Warrington's run of four straight Super League defeats and eased the pressure on boss Paul Cullen.


Warrington coach Paul Cullen:
"It was a bit like King Canute, you can't stop the tide. "Huddersfield had all the ball and all the pressure, there was very little we could do and they went for the throat.

"But half-time was at the right time for us. We'd have like to have gone in without conceding that try on the last play of the first half, usually that's the psychological killer blow.

"We've been knocked about and took a real hiding, but we gave them one back. We wanted to give them a taste of what they gave us in the first half."

Huddersfield coach Jon Sharp:
"We dominated for large parts, but a couple of individual errors invited them back in.

"At 22-6 up, we should have won it and we had the opportunity to do so just after half-time. It was a great play, if we'd scored it would have been too much for Warrington.

"They went up the other end and scored, after they went to the big screen - I have a different opinion to the person who made the decision but I can't have any input on that. It's futile to talk about it, but it was a very important decision."


Huddersfield: Jensen, Aspinwall, Lawrence, Whaturia, Elford, Brown, Robinson, Griffin, Hudson, Skandalis, Snitch, Raleigh, Lolesi.
Replacements: Crabtree, Jackson, Mason, Hemingway.

Warrington: Reardon, Hicks, Martin Gleeson, King, Penny, Briers, Monaghan, Morley, Mark Gleeson, Rauhihi, L. Anderson, Westwood, Harrison.
Replacements: Parker, Johnson, Riley, Bracek.

Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield)



see also
Hull 28-20 Huddersfield
27 Apr 08 |  My Club
Warrington 22-30 St Helens
25 Apr 08 |  Rugby League


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