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Huddersfield Giants defeated by Bradford Bulls as new signings feature

Huddersfield Giants Luke Robinson

Huddersfield Giants got their pre-season underway yesterday with a defeat against Championship side Bradford Bulls.

It was Bradford’s second game of the pre-season with the Bulls playing almost a month ago against Keighley Cougars, a game which they also won meaning they have now defeated League One and Super League opposition in the pre-season.

The 28-14 defeat allowed head coach Luke Robinson to blood two new signings and bring in several academy players, however, a large number of presumed starters did play.

Among the new signings to feature was big NRL recruit Tom Burgess whilst centre Liam Sutcliffe also featured. NRL trio Zac Woolford, Taane Milne and Jacob Gagai as well as the injured George King were the recruits who did not feature.

King wasn’t the only player to miss the game through injury with Adam Clune, Leroy Cudjoe, Tui Lolohea, Zac Woolford and Kieran Rush all missing out.

Last year’s star signing Adam Swift returned from injury with the winger marking his return with a try but that wasn’t enough as the Championship favourites ran in five tries.

Huddersfield Giants lose pre-season opener

It was a slow start for Huddersfield and they were punished early on when ex-Hull FC man Jayden Okunbor out jumped Adam Swift to collect James Meadows’ kick and score.

Another kick to the corner just minutes later resulted in Sam Halsall being taken from the field to have a Head Injury Assessment, meaning Elliot Wallis was introduced into the action.

Bradford kept on with their kick to the corner gameplan and the sub Wallis couldn’t claim the ball leading to Mitch Souter’s score to make it 10-0 after 20 minutes.

The away side were getting into the swing of things and their lethal edge combination of ex-Super League stars Waqa Blake and Jayden Okunbor struck again less than ten minutes later as the former Hull FC man fed the former Saint to make it 16-0.

Huddersfield did manage to get on the scoresheet before the half time hooter with Adam Swift helping the Giants save face as he scored a length-of-the-field try.

The Giants had lost Harry Rushton to a sin bin just before the half but they were still able to sustain pressure from Bradford early in the second forty, even managing to flip the field and score through Oliver Wilson.

With Huddersfield looking to get back into the game the visitors scored two quickfire tries through new signing Bayley Liu and back Kieran Gill, stretching the game to 28-10.

Academy winger Beau Morrison would pull one back for the Giants as the final five minutes saw six of the Huddersfield academy products on the field at once.

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