Halifax RLFC V Huddersfield Giants

Braces from Joe Wardle and Jamie Ellis helped inspire Huddersfield Giants to a 38-6 triumph over Halifax in the Infirmary Cup.
New signing Ellis touched down for a try in either half, as did Halifax-born centre Wardle.
Jermaine McGillvary, Jodie Broughton and Jack Hughes contributed to the onslaught in the Giants’ only pre-season game.
Ross Divorty registered Fax’s only four-pointer of the afternoon, which saw two players apiece sent to the sin bin for fighting in each half.
Huddersfield piled on the pressure in the opening five minutes and Broughton was the recipient of a Fax error. The ball was spilled inside the host’s 20 metres, Wardle was quickest to react to send his winger over. Danny Brough converted from the touchline.
Tempers flared between the West Yorkshire rivals after 13 minutes as Brough and Cahalane exchanged punches which resulted in both players sent to the sin bin by referee Joe Cobb.
The Giants capitalised on Fax being a man light to make it 10-0, Ellis’ kick to the corner was plucked out of the air by McGillvary who touched down.
The visitors pushed themselves 26-0 up with three tries in a five minute spell. Firstly, Leroy Cudjoe intercepted Matt Place’s pass to go 75 metres to set up Wardle for the first of his brace.
Slick hands to the right resulted in Ellis releasing Hughes to race away to the right corner for the next try, and the former Castleford halfback was rewarded for his part in his new side’s tries with one himself on the half-hour mark, collecting Shaun Lunt’s offload to score.
Despite being under the pump for the majority of the opening 40, Fax got on the board seconds before the hooter when Divorty won the race to Place’s kick. Steve Tyrer’s boot made the score 26-6.
The second half didn’t see as much action as the first, with the conditions of the pitch reducing the skill level for both sides.
However, Wardle sealed his double on 53 minutes as Brough’s grubber wasn’t diffused by the Fax defence. The England Knights centre pounced on the loose ball.
Like Wardle, Ellis doubled his tally for the afternoon in the second half, who sliced open the defence of Halifax and powered his way over the whitewash.
The only action in the remainder of the second half saw both sides lose another player for 10 minutes due to another punch-up.
New signing Richard Moore and Huddersfield’s Jake Connor were both shown the yellow card.
Halifax: Sheriffe; Potts, Saltonstall, Tyrer, Saxton; Place, Johnston; Cahalane, Holden, Ambler; Spencer, Robinson, Divorty. Subs: Greenwood, Mennell, Murrell, Heaton, Moore, Bracek, Maneely, Manning
Tries: Divorty (39)
Conversions: Tyrer 1/1
Sin bin: Cahalane (13), Moore (6icon_cool.gif
Huddersfield: Murphy; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Broughton; Brough, Ellis; Huby, Robinson, Kopczak; Ferres, Hughes, Bailey. Subs: Crabtree, Lunt, Ta’ai, Mullally, Connor, Johnson
Tries: Broughton (5), McGillvary (16), Wardle (27, 53), Hughes (29), Ellis (32, 61)
Conversions: Brough 5/6 Ellis 0/1
Sin bin: Brough (13), Connor (6icon_cool.gif
Referee: Joe Cobb
Man of the Match: Cahalane
Half-time score: 26-6
Full-time score: 38-6

A good match report this, it's good to see my owd mate Joe Cobb getting a chance to ref a game young Joe has a very good Future as a Ref and he's a Leyther as a Bonus.

If he never refs us again i won't be disappointed.When you kick ahead,chase for 5 yards
then get pushed into corner flag when about to ground,what part of that is not a penalty(try) ?

He was awful in the second half a bad decision when we forced the error and he gave a ball steal lead to the big brawl imo. Connor proved how tough he is by punching one of our players while 3 of his mates had hold of him only to go hiding when other players went looking for him. Should be a ban for him when the RFL review the video, if its anything like Cobb's interpretation though he should be ok as Hudds could do no wrong.

Yep Charlie, my eldest went and said the ref sided with Hudds so you can keep your mate over there.

Norman as you know its never easy pleasing everyone , and Refs always sule the game as they see it , Joe is still young , like Warren Turley another Ref I know , I think BOTH these lads a good future in the game .Plenty knocked Bentham when he first started and look at him now , and another Leyther to boot .Believe me young Joe will do OK in the Sport .And a nice lad as well .

Well Charlie we can't have a game without 'em so here's hoping we can be the best ones we can, though they really need support from the linos after seeing the highlights on a well known video sharing forum.

Now then , Charlie. Ask your mate Joe Cobb what Paul Anderson said to him at half time in the officials changing rooms. It's been said that he could be heard ranting from the corridor outside. Is anyone other than the matchday officials allowed in there?