Super 8s Preview: Huddersfield v Wakefield

James Gordon

All games are must win at this stage of the season, but nonemoreso than for Huddersfield Giants this weekend.

They can breathe a new lease of life into an already intriguing Super 8s competition with an opening victory over Wakefield at the John Smith’s Stadium on Friday night.

They are buoyed by the return of mid-season signing Jordan Turner from injury, while forwards Nathan Mason and Daniel Smith also return.

Dale Ferguson, Ollie Roberts and Martin Ridyard drop out, while long-term injury victim Jake Mamo is sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, Wakefield welcome back half-back Jacob Miller from a broken leg.

Prop Anthony England also comes back, with Craig Huby and David Fifita missing out.

Trinity lost all seven of their Super 8s games last season, and missed out on a top four finish in the regular season with a defeat to St Helens in the final round.

Stats:

Huddersfield’s Jermaine McGillvary has scored tries in the Giants’ last three meetings with Wakefield (2-1-1).

Wakefield’s Ben Jones-Bishop has scored tries in Trinity’s last three meetings with Huddersfield (1-2-2).

Last ten meetings:

Wakefield 28, Huddersfield 26 (SLR15, 26/5/17)
Huddersfield 24, Wakefield 16 (SLR2, 24/2/17)
Huddersfield 16, Wakefield 28 (CCQF, 23/6/16)
Huddersfield 2, Wakefield 10 (SLR18, 12/6/16)
Wakefield 36, Huddersfield 22 (SLR7, 25/3/16)
Huddersfield 34, Wakefield 24 (SLR23, 26/7/15)
Wakefield 14, Huddersfield 44 (SLR6, 22/3/15)
Wakefield 18, Huddersfield 36 (SLR23, 3/8/14)
Huddersfield 36, Wakefield 16 (SLR10, 21/4/14)
Huddersfield 40, Wakefield 0 (SLR26, 1/9/13)

Super League summary

Huddersfield won 30
Wakefield won 12
Huddersfield highest score: 58-6 (H, 2010) (Widest margin: 52-0, A, 2010; 58-6, H, 2010)
Wakefield highest score: 40-12 (H, 1999) (Widest margin: 38-6, A, 2004)

Squads:

Huddersfield: McGillvary, Cudjoe, Gaskell, Brough, Rapira, Hinchcliffe, Wakeman, Leeming, Ikahihifo, Ta’ai, Clough, Mason, Smith, Dickinson, McIntosh, Mellor, O’Brien, Turner, Rankin.

Wakefield: Annakin, Arona, Arundel, Ashurst, Caton-Brown, England, Finn, Grix, Hadley, Hasson, Hirst, Jones-Bishop, Kirmond, Lyne, Miller, Tupou, Walker, Williams, Wood.

Prediction:

Huddersfield are a completely different proposition to earlier in the season, and a win here will give them hope of an almost impossible dream – Giants by 10.