Ian Watson returned to his old stomping ground as he took his ninth placed Huddersfield Giants to the AJ Bell as they looked for the win which would allow them to leapfrog the Salford Red Devils and move up into sixth spot in the table.
Paul Rowley´s Salford had a three from six start to the season and went into the game knowing that a twelve point or more winning margin would elevate them to fifth in the table. Both sides came into this game on the back of a loss as the bookies struggle to choose between them, making the Red Devils slight favourites.
The Giants took the lead with eleven minutes on the clock with a simple try was Ash Golding made the most of an awful Sneyd pass to collect the ball and walk in for the try. Olly Russell added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
The Giants turned defence into attack as Chris McQueen intercepted the ball to spoil a promising Salford attack and the big second rower went forty metres before being hauled down but winning the penalty for his side. The Giants opted to kick the penalty and the boot of Russell extended the lead to 8-0.
With a six minutes of the half remaining the Red Devils got themselves back in the game with Marc Sneyd finding Shane Wright running the angle to crash over. Sneyd added the conversion for 6-8, the home side right back in it.
Within a couple of minutes the Giants struck back as they played the ball on the fifth, McQueen breaking downfield before the ball ended up in the hands of Kevin Naiqama to score. Russell was again on target for 14-6 to the Giants at the interval, a good half of rugby for the West Yorkshire side.
Will Pryce looked to have picked up a bad injury in the early stages of the second half as his ankle gave way, the young star being assisted off the field.
Matty Costello reduced the arrears to four points as he dived over in the corner on only the second Red Devils foray into the Giants twenty in the second half. The try came off the back of two consecutive penalties, the Giants discipline letting them down. Sneyd hit the outside of the post with his conversion attempt.
A Russell penalty, now four from four, extended the Giants lead to six points on fifty-six after Salford were caught offside in front of their own sticks.
The Giants extended their lead on sixty-nine as Owen Trout walked through a massive gap in the Red Devils defence for another simple try. Russell added a fifth goal of the afternoon for 22-10, the game moving beyond the home side.
Golding limped off as another Giants casualty on seventy-six in what might turn out to be a costly afternoon, despite the two league points.
The icing on the Giants cake came on seventy-seven as they made the extra numbers count with McQueen taking an offload and powering over from a metre out. Russell hit the upright with his conversion.
A final consolation in the dying seconds, Kallum Watkins juggling the ball before crossing for a four pointer. Sneyd added the conversion for a final score of 16-26, a great day on the road for the Giants.
From taking the lead early on, the Giants never looked like losing a game against a Salford Red Devils side which didn´t hit their straps today and will be frustrated at their lacklustre performance which has cost them their spot in the top half of the table. The Giants go into the Easter period, and a game against the Rhinos with their eyes on climbing further up the table, the Red Devils will need to regroup.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Sio, Cross, Costello (T), Burgess, Croft, Sneyd (2G), Dupree, Atkin, Ormondroyd, Watkins (T), Stone, Addy. Subs: Dixon, Vuniyayawa, Hellewell, Wright (T). 18th Man: Longstaff.
Huddersfield Giants: Pryce, Golding (T), Marsters, Naiqama (T), Halsall, Connor, Russell (5G), Hill, Peats, English, McQueen (T), Rushton, Yates. Subs: Lolohea, Ikahihifo, Trout (T), Ashworth. 18th Man: Cudjoe.
Half-Time: 6-14.
Full-Time: 16-26.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-8, 4-8, 6-8, 6-12, 6-14 : HT : 10-14, 10-16, 10-20, 10-22, 10-26, 14-26, 16-26 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Huddersfield.
Referee: Ben Thaler.
