Giants grind out second straight win and lift spirits at the John Smith’s
Huddersfield Giants dug in to overturn a half-time deficit and beat Hull FC 22-16 on Thursday night, recording only their fourth Super League victory of the season and their second on the bounce after last weekend’s shock at York.
The scoreline reflected a scrappy affair at the John Smith’s Stadium, but the result will be welcomed by a crowd that has seen more frustration than success this campaign. Huddersfield scored four tries through Chris Patolo, Connor Wrench, Lewis Jagger and George Flanagan, with Flanagan adding three goals. Hull’s points came from tries by Joe Batchelor and a brace from Davy Litten, with Zak Hardaker kicking two goals.
| Team | Tries | Goals | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huddersfield Giants | Patolo, Wrench, Jagger, Flanagan | Flanagan 3 | 22 |
| Hull FC | Batchelor, Litten 2 | Hardaker 2 | 16 |
How the game turned
Huddersfield began brightly when Patolo took an inside pass and barged his way to the line to open the scoring. But Hull responded, Jake Arthur sending Batchelor through a hole for the equaliser before Litten finished off an Ethan O’Neill pass to give the visitors a 10-6 lead at half-time.
Early in the second half, a kick through was hacked on and grounded by Wrench to put the Giants back in touch. Hull then struck again when O’Neill broke and found Litten, whose pace brought his second try and, with Hardaker’s conversion, a 16-12 advantage.
Huddersfield rallied. Flanagan produced the assist for Wrench to send Jagger diving into the right corner to level the game, and later a high tackle by Hull handed the Giants field position. Tui Lolohea’s pass put Flanagan over for what proved the match-winning score.
The visitors had a late shout when Batchelor appeared to score in the penultimate minute, but the video official ruled Hull offside in the buildup, ending their hopes.
Local impact and what it means
While the win does not yet turn Huddersfield into challengers, it offers a much-needed morale boost. The Giants remain bottom of the table but are now only two points adrift of Hull, whose slide continues; the defeat extended the Black and Whites’ run without a win to seven games.
For Huddersfield fans, the result will feel like at least a small reprieve. The performance was far from polished — errors and defensive lapses were visible — but the ability to steady the ship after half-time and finish stronger demonstrates some backbone that has been missing for much of the season.
- Result: Huddersfield Giants 22-16 Hull FC
- Huddersfield tries: Patolo, Wrench, Jagger, Flanagan
- Hull tries: Batchelor, Litten (2)
"It was good to win a game when we didn't play good. We started well, got to midway through the first half, the game got a bit messy and in the back end of the first half we struggled defensively," said Huddersfield head coach Jim Lenihan.
Lenihan added that half-time arrived at a good moment for the side to regroup and that the team found a bit more control in the second half. That pragmatic assessment will ring true with supporters who know modest gains can be the foundation for steadier times.
There are still questions to answer for the Giants — consistency being the most glaring. But two wins in succession is a start, and for a club and fanbase that have endured more than a few lean years, a gritty victory over near-neighbours is the sort of tonic that buys breathing room and a bit of optimism.
Next up, Huddersfield will be hoping to build on this and string more positive results together as the Super League season heads into its final months.
