Huddersfield Giants have finally broken their protracted losing streak in the Betfred Super League, securing a crucial 24-22 victory over York Knights. The win at York brings an end to a challenging run of 12 successive defeats for the West Yorkshire side, providing a much-needed morale boost and marking the first triumph under new head coach Jim Lenihan, appointed in May.
The Giants established a seemingly comfortable 24-10 lead with just ten minutes remaining, following a converted try from Zac Woolford. However, York mounted a spirited late comeback, with veteran forward Jordan Thompson, celebrating his 400th career appearance, and Tom Inman both touching down in quick succession. This reduced Huddersfield's advantage to a precarious two points, setting up a tense final four minutes of play.
Despite the late pressure, the visitors held firm to clinch their first victory since defeating the same opponents on 4 April. Tui Lolohea was a standout performer for Huddersfield, not only scoring a try himself but also instrumental in setting up scores for teammates Lewis Jagger and Connor Wrench. Earlier in the match, York had opened the scoring through David Nofoaluma, with Scott Galeano also crossing the whitewash to keep the Knights in contention, narrowing the deficit to 12-10 at one point.
The converted scores by Wrench and Woolford appeared to put Huddersfield on a clear path to victory before York's late surge injected significant tension into the closing stages. While the win does not lift Huddersfield from the bottom of the Super League table, it has reduced their gap to second-from-bottom Hull FC to just four points, offering a glimmer of hope in their fight against relegation.
York, who had previously beaten Huddersfield at Magic Weekend during a three-match winning run, have now suffered back-to-back defeats, following a loss to Toulouse. Their upcoming fixtures present a stern test, with their next five matches all against clubs currently positioned in the top half of the table, making this home defeat a particularly frustrating one for the Knights.