
Huddersfield Giants lost their second and final pre-season game as Championship side Featherstone Rovers defeated them.
It marks the second time this pre-season that Luke Robinson’s side have lost to Championship opposition with Bradford Bulls having defeated the Giants back in January by a scoreline of 28-14.
After that game, head coach Luke Robinson fired a warning to his players as he claimed that they lacked the “enthusiasm and desire” that was needed, something he claimed was a “non-negotiable”.
A fortnight on and his side have fallen to another defeat against Championship opposition with Featherstone Rovers winning 18-4 at the Millennium Stadium.
It marks the end of a tough pre-season for Huddersfield with the club having suffered several injuries, particularly in the halves which saw them forced to play Kieran Rush and fellow youngster Leo Ward at six and seven.
The Giants will now travel to face Hunslet RLFC in the Challenge Cup before facing Warrington Wolves in Round One of Super League, a game that looks to be a daunting proposition for Huddersfield given their injuries.
Huddersfield Giants lose second pre-season clash to Championship opposition
On to Hunslet in the Challenge Cup.#Since1895 | 🤝 Womag pic.twitter.com/kc1WF9TNFY
— Huddersfield Giants 🐮🔔 (@Giantsrl) February 2, 2025
Featherstone had the best of the early exchanges as they tried out debutant Jacob Gagai and earned a scrum ten metres out. The Giants managed to hold out but it simply marked a sign of things to come.
It was the Giants who went closest next through Elliot Wallis, however, he was forced into touch before he could ground and minutes later Featherstone punished that as they scored through Connor Jones.
That marked the first set of Huddersfield changes with the likes of Tom Burgess, Matty English and Oliver Wilson all entering the fray but that didn’t put the hosts off as they scored through playmaker Zach Herring on the 25-minute mark.
No more scores came in the first 40 but Huddersfield’s Jack Murchie was then sent to the sin bin before the half-time hooter for a late hit on Ben Reynolds.
Huddersfield looked to start the second half a lot better but could not get the score until the hour mark when youngster Darius Carter scored in the corner to make it 12-4. Joe Greenwood came close to scoring but knocked on as Luke Robinson’s side kept the pressure on.
That pressure didn’t amount to points though and a broken line allowed for a two-on-one which Ben Reynolds executed perfectly by playing in Jonny Openshaw to make it 18-4 to the Championship side in the final five minutes. The Flat Cappers weren’t done though as 2025 signing from Wakefield Trinity Toby Boothroyd scored to make it 24-4 as they head into the Challenge Cup in fine form.
