Huddersfield beat Warrington 30-19 in a match marred by repeated fighting
Last Updated: 16/06/15 2:14pm
Huddersfield overcame a 13-6 half-time deficit to mark captain Danny Brough's 400th career appearance with a 30-19 win over Warrington at the John Smith's Stadium in a match marred by four yellow cards for repeated fighting.
Stand-off Gareth O'Brien had earlier starred for the visitors, scoring a try, adding two conversions and kicking a drop goal as the Wolves had the better of the first half.
Jodie Broughton's score reduced the deficit soon after the interval and, although Ben Harrison swiftly restored Warrington's seven-point cushion, the Giants hit back with tries from Jermaine McGillvary (two) and Jared Simpson and two Jamie Ellis drop goals to seal a first home win over the Wolves since April 2011.
Daryl Clark had opened the scoring for the visitors on five minutes, with Jake Connor replying after a mix-up between Richie Myler and Joel Monaghan.
Brough converted to continue his record of scoring in every match since February 13 - a run now stretching to 18 games.
O'Brien's converted try and drop goal made it 13-6 at the end of a tepid opening half, which provided no indication of the fireworks to come after the break.
Broughton dived over on 45 minutes and, as the Giants celebrated cutting the deficit to three points, Eorl Crabtree and Chris Bridge squared up.
It led to a mass brawl involving all 26 players that saw referee Phil Benthan dish out yellow cards to Brough and Warrington prop Anthony England.
Substitute England was so incensed he refused to leave and had to be pulled away by a team water-carrier.
He and Brough - the worst offenders in the fighting - also squared up on the touchline after their dismissals.
Giants scrum-half Ellis held his nerve after a delay to land the conversion in goal-kicker Brough's absence and make the score 13-12.
But home joy was short-lived when a defensive blunder allowed Warrington to take back control of the game.
A Giants player coughed up the ball in a crowd of players on his own try-line on 48 minutes and Harrison pounced for a close-range converted score.
McGillvary set up a grandstand finish with a converted try on 60 minutes – with again only O'Brien's drop goal the difference.
Academy product Jared Simpson, who scored on his debut last week against Wigan, then stepped up to the mark.
When McGillvary's break from deep was help up, the Giants swung play to the other flank in a flowing move finished off by the 19-year-old.
Brough converted and then Ellis landed two drop goals in as many minutes to make it 26-19.
In between there were further flare-ups between the players, which ended in another mass brawl after McGillvary scored his second try of the match on 76 minutes.
The fight appeared to start when a Giants players seemingly punched an opponent while he was on the ground and Connor and Clark were sin-binned for their roles in the affair.
