Giants stride into quarters
Huddersfield had little trouble seeing off part-timers Rochdale to earn a place in the quarter-final draw of the Challenge Cup.
Last Updated: 10/05/09 1:40pm
Huddersfield had little trouble seeing off part-timers Rochdale to earn a place in the quarter-final draw of the Challenge Cup.
Hooker Shaun Lunt scored a hat-trick for the Giants, who were without 10 senior players, either injured or rested.
Hornets - who have plenty of injury problems themselves - had Brett Robinson, Dave Houghton and Matt Strong making their debuts after being signed on loan from Widnes and all made useful contributions in a battling effort.
Even after trailing 32-0 the visitors never gave up and they twice cracked the second best defence in Super League late on.
The result, though, was never in doubt from the moment Huddersfield scrum-half Luke Robinson jinked his way through the Hornets defence for the game's first try after six minutes.
Lunt forced his way over from dummy half four minutes later and then second rower Larne Patrick showed a nice turn of pace over 30 metres to score his first try for the club.
Teenage hooker Keal Carlile also notched his first try, just a minute after making his debut as a substitute, and Patrick carved out a try for centre Jamahl Lolesi just before half-time, when the Giants led 26-0.
Versatility
Lunt, who demonstrated his versatility by switching to loose forward and stand-off, added his second try within four minutes of the re-start, but Rochdale finally got on the board on 52 minutes when centre Mick Fogerty leapt high to touch down Martin Ainscough's high kick.
That gave the Hornets just the encouragement they needed and Ainscough grabbed a second try from Robinson's grubber kick, with Chris Giles kicking his second conversion to make it 32-12.
Lunt had the final say five minutes from time when he crashed over from close range to complete his hat-trick and full-back Leroy Cudjoe kicked his fifth conversion.
