Super League: Hull KR v Huddersfield Giants preview
Last Updated: 26/06/14 7:45pm
Huddersfield Giants will aim to consolidate their place in the Super League play-offs on Thursday with a visit to KC Lightstream Stadium to face Hull KR.
Paul Anderson’s Giants retained sixth place with a third successive victory on Saturday and should they extend that winning run against the Rovers they could move as high as fourth in the Super League ladder.
Jermaine McGillvary and Joe Wardle both dotted down twice while Scott Grix, Brett Ferres and Jodie Broughton all crossed as the Giants claimed a 38-22 victory and extended London Broncos’ losing streak to 17 league matches.
Meanwhile, Rovers bounced back from a pair of defeats by thumping relegation-threatened Bradford Bulls 44-18 at Odsal.
A seventh win of the season moved Craig Sandercock’s side onto the brink of the play-off places and a home triumph over the Giants could see them break into the top eight.
After a convincing performance against the Bulls, claiming only a second away win of the season, Sandercock has kept faith in the same 19-man party.
Full-back Greg Eden and centre Craig Hall retain their places after chalking up two tries apiece against Bradford, while Graeme Horne, Neville Costigan and Jason Netherton have overcome niggles to take their place in the match-day squad.
Costigan cleared
Rovers forward Costigan was also subject to an RFL charge for striking during their clash with the Bulls, but entered an early guilty plea and was cleared to feature against the Giants.
Giants coach Anderson also retains an unchanged squad for the trip to East Yorkshire despite claiming his side did “just enough” against the Broncos.
It’s a show of consistency that sees hooker Shaun Lunt miss out for a third week after his battle with a calf strain, while there is still no place for prop Antonio Kaufusi following his loan spell with the Bulls.
“I’ve accused us of winning on talent and not on effort for a period of time,” Anderson told the club’s official website. “The difference from the past two games is that at Wigan and Leeds we won the game on effort.
“Effort is a pre-requisite that must be put in to play rugby league, however, I thought we just did enough.
“We are all grown men, and we are all honest, but that just wasn’t good enough. We’ve got a short turnaround now and then we rip into Hull KR who have got some confidence after their win over Bradford.”
When the sides last met in February they played out a 24-24 stalemate at the John Smith’s Stadium; they also shared honours last term with both sides prevailing on home soil.
Hull KR: Burns, Carlile, Costigan, Eden, Esslemont, Gardner, Green, Hall, D. Hodgson, J. Hodgson, Horne, Keating, Lovegrove, Netherton, Ollett, Salter, A. Walker, Welham, Weyman
Huddersfield Giants: Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Brough, Robinson, Crabtree, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Bailey, Lawrence, Patrick, Faiumu, Ta'ai, Wood, Broughton, Mullally, Johnson
Watch Hull KR v Huddersfield Giants live on Sky Sports 1HD from 7:30pm