| Hull FC (10) 20 |
| Tries: Hoy, McIntosh, Savelio, Taylor Goal: Clifford |
| Huddersfield (16) 52 |
| Tries: McGillvary 2, Marsters, Ikahihifo, Naiqama 3, Pryce 2 Goals: Connor 8 |
Kevin Naiqama scored a hat-trick as an excellent second-half display from Huddersfield allowed them to overwhelm Hull FC.
Jermaine McGillvary put the Giants ahead before Tex Hoy and Darnell McIntosh crossed for Hull.
Esan Marsters and Seb Ikahihifo gave Huddersfield the lead at the break.
Andre Savelio reduced the gap to two points early in the second half before the Giants cut loose through Naiqama, Will Pryce (2) and McGillvary’s second.
Jake Connor was excellent from the tee, kicking eight goals as the Giants went past 50 points, before Scott Taylor’s 79th-minute consolation for Hull.
Huddersfield started the better, enjoying an early spell of pressure that resulted in them scoring after only four minutes when the ball was shifted wide to McGillvary to stroll over, with Connor adding the extras.
An individual moment of magic from stand-off Hoy got Hull back into the game on ten minutes as he fooled the Giants defence with a dummy pass before racing under the posts, and Jake Clifford levelled it at 6-6 from the tee.
Hoy and McIntosh combined to make a try-saving tackle to deny Sam Halsall a swift Giants response before the duo came together in attack as Hoy broke the line and found McIntosh’s supporting run to allow the full-back to run in from distance and make it 10-6 after 18 minutes.
Huddersfield were back on level terms six minutes later as Connor took the ball to the line and sent Marsters through a gap, with the Giants taking the lead shortly afterwards through Ikahihifo’s powerful score and Connor stretched the advantage to six points with the boot.
The hosts reduced the gap to just two points six minutes into the second period when Savelio collected Hoy’s pass to cross in his final home appearance for the club.
However, the try stung the Giants into life and centre Naiqama scored twice in five minutes to make it 28-14 in the 53rd minute.
The Giants were finding it all too easy on the hour mark as Pryce grabbed a quickfire double himself, first chasing a kick to dot down before finishing off a break from Huddersfield’s own half as the visitors hit 40 points.
There was still time for Naiqama to complete his hat-trick as the Giants opened up Hull at will, before Taylor’s late score, which offered little in consolation to the home fans.
In the final round of Super League fixtures on 22 September, Huddersfield host Warrington, while Hull FC head to St Helens, both kicking-off at 20:00 BST.
Hull FC: McIntosh; Swift, Scott, Sutcliffe, Barron; Hoy, Clifford; Fash, Houghton, Satae, Lane, Savelio, Cator.
Interchanges: Brown, Lovodua, Staveley, Taylor.
Huddersfield: Pryce; Halsall, Marsters, Naiqama, McGillvary; Connor, Lolohea; Ikahihifo, Milner, Greenwood, Hewitt, Livett, English.
Interchanges: O’Brien, Wilson, McQueen, Cudjoe.
Referee: James Vella.
Hull FC head coach Tony Smith:
“It was embarrassing and we apologise for a performance like that. It was nowhere near the levels we need to be to win a game or deserve the respect of our supporters, it was a tough watch.
“I thought in the first half we played in our own half far too much. We scored one from deep and that’s when we ran directly.
“That was the blueprint of how we needed to play, and we just didn’t come up with that. We went sideways and passed the ball when we should have run, and we paid a pretty hefty price for our tactics in the first half.
“Huddersfield were good in the second half, and we capitulated in certain areas. If we make errors, we should be able to soak them up and we weren’t able to, that shouldn’t happen.”
Huddersfield head coach Ian Watson:
“It’s a great result off the back of some of the adversity we’ve faced this year.
“We did some of the simple things really well and you saw our mentality in the second half that we were eager to win.
“Going forward, we want to be a side that’s known for putting in effort every single week. That’s been questioned at times this year and we want to get away from that and I thought coming to Hull today was a big test of our mentality.
“I thought our end of sets and kicking game were a big difference between the sides. Our kick chase was really strong and that allowed us to win field position.
“We had a plan of how to attack Hull but our players went out and executed it really well.”
