Huddersfield guarantee Super League top-four spot with win over Wakefield
Last Updated: 26/07/15 8:18pm
Leroy Cudjoe scored his 100th career try as Huddersfield guaranteed a top-four Super League finish with a 34-24 victory over Wakefield at the John Smith's Stadium on Sunday.
The centre's score was Huddersfield's fifth of the afternoon as they took a commanding 28-12 half-time lead.
And though their opponents came back strongly after the interval, they were left to rue poor goal-kicking as Danny Brough's try and his fifth conversion from six attempts - compared to two from five for Wakefield - secured the win.
Bottom side Wakefield, 11 points adrift of Salford before play, made a powerful start against their bogey team.
Jacob Miller dodged past Jared Simpson in a 20-metre dash from Nick Scruton's pass for a converted try on seven minutes.
The home side, who have won their last six games against Wakefield, responded with a spell of pressure.
Two fouls gifted Huddersfield an extra set of six near the tryline and Luke Robinson finally burst through on 13 minutes.
A delightful kick with the outside of his boot from Brough put Jodie Broughton in for a try in the left corner seven minutes later, and Brough was again the provider soon after when Michael Lawrence pounced on his grubber kick.
Wakefield were briefly back in it at 16-12 when Scott Anderson dived over in the left corner on 27 minutes for a rare try, the 29-year-old Australian prop's fifth for the club and only the ninth of his career.
But two quick replies from Huddersfield, including Cudjoe's effort, appeared to put them in control.
Daniel Smith barged over from close range against his former club to score his first try for the Giants, having signed earlier this month as part of the deal which took Anthony Mullally to Belle Vue.
The ball then seemed to be going out of play on 36 minutes when Jamie Ellis overhit a grubber kick into the right corner but Cudjoe, who now has 94 tries for the Giants and six for England, dived in at full stretch to make the touchdown.
Brough kicked his fourth conversion of the game to leave the home side 16 points up at the break.
Two tries in four minutes early in the second half put Wakefield back in contention at 28-20.
Matty Ashurst went over from Miller's pass on 47 minutes while Lee Smith polished off a flowing move involving Danny Washbrook and Bill Tupou.
They might have been within a score of drawing level had Hall not dragged both goal-kicks wide.
Huddersfield again responded with a spell of pressure which Wakefield did well to resist on their own try line.
But eventually they broke through, with Brough selling a defender a dummy before racing 30 metres for a converted solo score on 65 minutes.
Eight minutes from time Reece Lyne completed the scoring with a scrappy try for Wakefield in front of just 4,839 fans. Lee Smith took over kicking duties but was off target.
A top-four finish for Huddersfield means four home and three away matches in the end-of-season play-offs.
