Giants show great reserves

Brown: Giants coach

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Huddersfield Giants made their point as a team of reserves almost pulled off a huge shock against St Helens on Friday.

Giants assistant coach Paul Anderson was put in charge by Nathan Brown for the trip to St Helens, with his greater knowledge of the second string players.

Despite making wholesale changes with next week's Challenge Cup final in mind, Huddersfield raced into a 10-0 lead and Saints only just walked away with a 12-10 win in the end.

"It was a great effort," said Anderson. "We were expected to be the fall guys but they gave everything asked of them.

"They took it to a champion team and took it to the wire. I thought our scramble defence was good and it had to be."

Fourth place

Huddersfield slipped to fourth place in the table, following Hull KR's 14-10 win at Salford, and were also dealt an injury blow ahead of the trip to Wembley, with second-rower Danny Kirmond due for scans on suspected knee ligament damage.

However, hooker Lunt pressed his claims for a place in the Giants' cup final line-up with an impressive all-round game.

"You give 'Lunty' a challenge and he will respond," said Anderson. "He is going to a big hit in Super League. He's got all the right attributes and he's a good kid as well."

St Helens were strangely out of sorts in the first half but a try from Ade Gardner kept them in touch by half-time and centre Matt Gidley touched down early in the second half to put them within striking distance.

"We were a bit scratchy in the first half and didn't execute some plays," said coach Mick Potter. "We tried to over-play if anything.

"But we played at their end a lot more in the second half, built some pressure and got some points."

The architect of Saints' second-half revival was veteran scrum-half Sean Long, who made a successful return from a broken jaw.

"Coming back from a serious facial injury is difficult but I thought he showed what a skilful player he is," said Potter.

"He came up with a couple of busts and some real good kick plays. I'm very pleased he's back. He adds experience to the team."