After last week’s agonising 17-16 defeat to Wakefield Trinity, Huddersfield Giants face a Castleford side, who came from 20-0 down to beat Wigan Warriors 38-28 last time out. Here’s everything you need to know.
TEAM FORM GUIDE
Huddersfield Giants
After recording consecutive wins, Huddersfield excruciatingly lost against Wakefield Trinity, with ex-Giant Danny Brough kicking the winning point with just three minutes remaining.
Jermaine McGillvary and a Darnell McIntosh brace got the Giants tries in the defeat, but they slumped to a sixth loss from nine.
Castleford Tigers
In stark contrast, Castleford have started 2019 brilliantly, winning six league games and sitting pretty in third place.
Last week’s incredible comeback at home to Wigan summed them up in eighty minutes: leaky at the back but devastating in attack.
SQUAD NEWS
Huddersfield Giants
Giants coach Simon Woolford has brought Aaron Murphy, who had been nursing a knee injury, back into the squad.
Jake and Joe Wardle also make the side.
Huddersfield 19-man squad: McIntosh, McGillvary, Turner, Uate, Gaskell, Frawley, Leeming, Matagi, Murphy, Mellor, O’Brien, Ta’ai, English, Jake Wardle, Russell, Ikahihifo, Hewitt, Senior, Joe Wardle.
Castleford Tigers
Castleford could give a debut to former Huddersfield man, Daniel Smith. The prop forward joined the club last week.
Smith is one of three players to come into the squad, with Mike McMeeken and Junior Moors also coming in. Alex Foster, Nathan Massey and Will Maher make way.
Castleford Tigers 19-man squad: Clare, Clark, Cook, Eden, Egodo, Holmes, Mata’utia, McMeeken, Millington, Milner, Minikin, Moors, O’Neill, Sene-Lefao, Shenton, Smith, Trueman, Turner, Watts
HEAD TO HEAD
Interestingly, in the two league games between the teams last season, the away side emerged victorious on both occasions.
The Giants beat Castleford 18-32 at the Jungle in July, having lost the reverse fixture 28-40 at the John Smith’s Stadium in April.
However, in the Super 8s, Huddersfield were mauled 44-12 as the Tigers ran riot on home soil.
KEY BATTLE
ย Jermaine McGillvary (Huddersfield) vs Greg Eden (Castleford)
Eden had a very impressive 2018 and scored when Castleford won this fixture last season, so the third-placed side will be looking to him to provide more magic as the Tigers aim to hunt down St Helens and Warrington Wolves at the top of the table.
Huddersfield, however, will be determined to get back to winning ways after last week’s heartbreak at Wakefield. Winger Jermaine McGillvary scored in the 17-16 defeat and also scored a brace against Castleford when the Giants won the last regular season meeting between the two sides. If Huddersfield are going to win this one, as they need to, McGillvary will surely be the man to fire them to victory.
THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
Date:ย Thursday 11th April
Venue:ย John Smith’s Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Referee: Ben Thaler
WHO WILL WIN?
Huddersfield desperately need a win to pull away from the sides at the bottom of Super League, but last week’s loss will have taken its toll. With Castleford in such good form, I can only see the away side taking the two points: Huddersfield 10-28 Castleford Tigers
