Huddersfield 40 Saints 18.

SAINTS slumped to their heaviest defeat since the idiosyncratic performances of the Millward era, and yet they were still applauded off the pitch by the travelling fans who recognise the adversity the team are up against at the minute.

Fatigue, no half backs, inexperience and the pressures of constantly covering for holes appearing in the ranks over a period of two months finally took its toll against a quality Giants team.

They cannot make a habit of it – as soon as they start feeling sorry for themselves the dam will burst and the mediocrity that comes with simply being gallant losers will become the benchmark.

That said it must be difficult for the team seeing 10 or 11 colleagues from the 27 man squad sitting it out during this dreadful injury crisis – compounded by the fact that some of those having to put their hand up will themselves be playing with knocks and needles.

Those injury woes were compounded in the warm up when Chris Flannery pulled up, resulting in two young backs on the bench and the necessity of winger Ade Gardner having to do a 20 minute stint in the second row.

With that in mind it may be that the players who missed some awful one-on-one tackles that directly led to tries may have some mitigation.

But it was a poor effort from Sia Soliola on Eorl Crabtree that led to the Giants’ early opener.

Danny Brough had a bit further to travel when spotted some hesitancy from youngster Nathan Ashe to pierce the line en route his 80 metre effort.

Michael Shenton allowed himself to be given the brush off by former Saint Lee Gilmour in the build up to Michael Lawrence’s excellent long-range score, and Francis Meli’s half-hearted effort to stop Joe Wardle close to the line deserved to be pilloried. No doubt this was the first area to highlight at this week’s review of the match.

Although Saints had pegged the score back to 12-6 after James Roby’s shrewd kick was touched down by Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, the Giants got a roll on off the back of a daft penalty from Meli and rattled in four tries in a ten minute purple patch.

At that stage Saints were staring down the barrel of a 50 plus point trouncing, but they stuck in there and played some football of their own resulting in Matty Ashurst and Gardner crossing, the latter courtesy of a fine pass out of the tackle from Shenton.

It was always going to be a big ask against Huddersfield, who are rightly being tipped to gatecrash the big four this season.

They have a pack that is hard to hold especially when they are afforded such favourable attacking and defensive positions courtesy of the kicking game of Brough, and well prompted by Luke Robinson.

They also have a bit of flair in the backline – and it is there on the edges that, courtesy of some fine passing from Yicker Kevin Brown, that the Giants found rich pickings to seal the game.

But Saints, who lost prop Josh Perry with a knuckle and hip injuries in the second half, are in desperate need of a change of luck. If this crisis carries on they will have to send the team bus to Lourdes if they are to get some rewards from this season.

Huddersfield: Grix; McGillvary, Wardle, Lawrence, Cudjoe; Brown, Brough; Crabtree, Robinson, Griffin, Gilmour, Ferguson, Kirmond. Subs: Lunt, Faiumu, Cording, Patrick.

Saints: Wellens; Gardner, Shenton, Meli, Foster; Ashe, Wilkin; Graham, Roby, Perry, Soliola, Ashurst, Magennis. Subs: McCarthy-Scrarsbrook, Makinson, Armstrong, Hale.