Hull FC (12) 14
Tries: Tickle, Hall Goals: Tickle 3
Huddersfield Giants (0) 6
Tries: Grix Goals: Cudjoe
 Second row Tickle scored 10 of Hull's 14 points in the clash |
Hull secured their second Super League win of the season after a dominant first-half show against Huddersfield. The home side battered the Giants to score two tries via Danny Tickle and Craig Hall, Tickle converting twice. Huddersfield started the second half stronger as errors crept into Hull's game and Scott Grix capitalised, Leroy Cudjoe adding the extras. Hull pressed hard for another try but had to settle with just a Tickle penalty goal after the break. The visitors were missing last season's Man of Steel Brett Hodgson and suffered a further blow when they lost starting hooker Shaun Lunt to a potential broken wrist. And Hodgson's absence was evident when Hull cruised into an early lead when Willie Manu's powerful run put Tickle in. Jamahl Lolesi's failed to ground the ball for an opening Giants score after he beat Tom Briscoe. And, less than a minute later, Hall crossed for Hull's second.  | 606: DEBATE |
With scrum-half Sean Long orchestrating things, the home side were unfortunate not to turn around with more points on the board. But it was Long's opposite number Luke Robinson who squandered a golden chance just minutes before the break when, with three men clear outside him, he was brought to ground by Jordan Tansey. The rejuvenated Giants's bright start after the resumption was rewarded with a bullish try from replacement Grix, who carried four Hull players over the line with him. As the Giants began to exert pressure, Tickle's penalty brought Hull breathing space as they looked to add to last week's season-opening win over St Helens at Knowsley Road. And Nathan Brown's men then had a try disallowed when Lolesi's grounding was ruled to have benefitted from a forward pass. But Hull also had claims for further tries turned down by referee Thierry Alibert before hearing the relief of the final hooter.
Hull FC coach Richard Agar: "It was a great win for us in a different fashion to last week. "Tonight was an arm wrestle. It was tough and we had to fight for every inch. We played an exceptionally good defensive side and had to tough it out. "We've now conceded three tries in two games, against Saints and Huddersfield who were second and third last season. "Huddersfield didn't go away, but we didn't go away either. I thought we were probably one chance away from putting them to bed." Huddersfield Giants coach Nathan Brown: "I couldn't fault our effort but our execution wasn't quite right. "We didn't take our chances and on the occasions we got over the line, the referee made the decision that it wasn't a try. "It's a fine line between winning and losing. It wasn't quite our night. They got two chances in the first half and took them and we got two chances and didn't take them. "That's what happens when you play good teams. If we'd have played an average side we might have got away with a win."
Hull: Tansey, Hall, Whiting, Yeaman, T. Briscoe, Horne, Long, O'Meley, Berrigan, Radford, Tickle, Manu, Fitzgibbon.
Replacements: Dowes, Cusack, Lauaki, Houghton. Huddersfield: Cudjoe, Lolesi, Lawrence, Whaturia, D. Hodgson, Brown, Robinson, Raleigh, Lunt, D. Griffin, Gilmour, Horne, Faiumu.
Replacements: Crabtree, Fa'alogo, Grix, Patrick. Referee: T Alibert (Toulouse) Attendance: 14,520
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