Champions Leeds had an easy victory over Huddersfield Giants to continue their 100% record in Super League 2008.
Leeds continued their 100% Super League 2008 record, with an easy victory over the Huddersfield Giants at the Galpharm Stadium.
On a day of celebration for the Giants, who achieved a record Super League attendance of 15,629 people, the team failed to create any spark, meaning that Leeds put them to the sword easily.
Giants caught in a Webb
Brent Webb was the main threat to the Giants after he picked up two relatively easy tries. The first of them came after just three minutes. The New Zealander latched onto the end of a superb grubber kick into the in-goal area.
Huddersfield did briefly rally, and managed to get a try back through Rod Jensen, but it was largely undeserved because of the amount of errors and mistakes the Giants were making. A swift passing move down the short side freed space up for Jensen, who managed to round the full-back and dive over. Captain Chris Thorman failed to convert the try though.
Barely five minutes more had passed, when Leeds crossed again. The ball was played out from a scrum, and Jamie Jones-Buchanan got the second Leeds try, despite claims from the Huddersfield players that there was a double movement.
It looked as if Huddersfield were going to rally again; Jensen breaking away down the left hand touchline again only to be thrown into touch by Webb, with an amazing try-saving tackle.
And that set the tone for the Giants, who found themselves under pressure even more. As a result, they had not learnt from their mistakes before and another grubber kick into the in-goal area, found the waiting hands of Webb for his second try of the game. Kevin Sinfield converted.
Huddersfield capitulated right before half-time when young winger Ryan Hall found a massive gap thanks to an offload by Ali Lauitiiti, to race in from 60 metres, giving Leeds a handsome 22-4 lead.
Hall was again the dangerman with his excellent pace in the second half, and raced 80 metres for his second try of the game, after a wild ball out wide was intercepted; the try once again converted by Sinfield.
Huddersfield did try and rekindle some hope, and managed to get some more points on the board when Luke Robinson twisted his way through the defence, but Sinfield ensured the points were heading back to Headingley, when he converted a penalty goal with minutes remaining.
Personal note from the author
I would just like to tag on to the bottom of this article the following message. I'd like to send my personal condolences to the family, friends and everyone who knew the man who went into cardiac arrest after the Huddersfield versus Leeds game, and as a result died despite the heroic efforts of both fellow fans and paramedics to resuscitate him. Rest in peace.
