Warriors forced to wait
Wigan must wait a while longer for the Super League leaders' shield after Huddersfield earned a surprise 18-16 victory on Sunday.
Last Updated: 15/08/10 9:40pm
Wigan must wait a while longer for the Super League leaders' shield after Huddersfield came from behind to earn a surprise 18-16 victory at the DW Stadium on Sunday.
The Warriors needed to win in order to finish top of the table for the first time since 2000 but having gone 10-0 ahead at half time, they instead capitulated and must now wait at least another week to clinch their first piece of silverware since the 2002 Challenge Cup.
Karl Pryce and Joel Tomkins scored tries for the home side in an ill-tempered first half which saw Wigan prop Stuart Fielden sin-binned along with Huddersfield's Kevin Brown and Keith Mason.
The Giants hit back in the second half though and held the lead by the hour mark after Leroy Cudjoe and Luke Robinson touched down converted tries.
Although Wigan went back in front when Sam Tomkins scored a 70-metre effort, Cudjoe subsequently scored again in the 71st minute to send Wigan to their fourth home defeat of the season.
The Warriors opened the scoring after Mark Riddell tracked back to gather the loose ball after Thomas Leuluai's kick was charged down by Darrell Griffin.
Paul Deacon then sent a diagonal kick to the right and Pryce rose above David Hodgson to gather and touch down - Pat Richards albeit sending the conversion just wide.
They could then have gone further ahead but Michael Lawrence was penalised for tugging back Harrison Hansen before he could latch on to Sam Tomkins' pass.
Fielden eventually knocked on but the Giants were down a man shortly after as Brown was sin-binned for tugging back Sam Tomkins, who remained in support after setting up Richards. Referee Phil Bentham then produced his yellow card again after a clash between Mason and rival prop Fielden.
Rallied
The Giants rallied despite being one man down and David Hodgson appeared set to score only to be bundled into touch by Pryce as he sprinted for the corner.
Wigan were unable to exploit their man advantage - their closest chance ending with Deacon unable to get away a return pass following a Joel Tomkins break.
Huddersfield pressed forward in response, with Brett Hodgson's kick to Cudjoe leading to a sweeping move which culminated in Leuluai mopping up a David Hodgson grubber.
The home side handed themselves breathing space at the interval, however, when Deacon's bomb was touched back by Richards for Joel Tomkins to cross unchallenged.
Pryce and Marsh did well to halt David Hodgson for a goal-line drop-out shortly after the restart, with Sam Tomkins then having a try ruled out by the video referee.
Slowly but surely, the Giants started to make their presence felt with Pryce forced to concede a drop-out before Lawrence broke down the right, passing inside for Cudjoe to pick up and touch down.
Their second try came after David Hodgson broke down the left before kicking on for former Wigan scrum-half Robinson to pick up the loose ball and angle his way in to the left corner.
Brett Hodgson converted from the touchline but Sam Tomkins soon responded with a fine effort as he spotted a gap to burst through the line from dummy-half and streak clear.
Even so, the last laugh was Huddersfield's as a clever kick from Danny Brough found Cudjoe to seal victory.
