Thorman keeps
Giants in touch

Official English Super League Round 20 game report - Sunday 10 July 2005. Full time: Huddersfield 32 Leigh 20.

Thorman keeps Giants in touch

Stand-in skipper Chris Thorman was the Huddersfield Giants hero, scoring 20 points in the 32-22 win over struggling Leigh Centurions to keep them in touch with the engage Super League play-offs.

Thorman, leading the side in the absence of injured skipper Ben Roarty, scored a try and kicked eight goals to all but condemn spirited Leigh to the drop.

But the Giants, who had lost four of their five previous engage Super League games, made hard work of beating a Leigh side who had lost their previous seven games and were still searching for a first away point.

Huddersfield?s cause was not helped by Paul Reilly?s sending-off after 15 minutes as the full-back was red-carded by referee Steve Ganson for flattening Centurions centre Danny Halliwell off the ball.

Halliwell had just attempted to kick the ball through when Reilly caught him high, leaving Huddersfield to play the remaining 65 minutes with 12 men.

It was one of many incidents of indiscipline in a scrappy game, with both sides guilty of silly offences which broke up the rhythm of the play.

The sweltering heat at the Galpharm Stadium did not help either but Huddersfield always had the edge on their opponents.

Centre James Evans gave the Giants the lead after just 90 seconds and it looked like being a long afternoon for Leigh.

Thorman and Phil Jones kicked two penalties each before Thorman skipped over for a try after Eorl Crabtree had been high tackled by Ben Cooper.

But Leigh showed superb spirit as stand-off Mike Govin ran 50 metres to touch down, with Jones converting.

A Jones penalty - one of five successful goals - two minutes into the second half brought Leigh within four points.

But when former Huddersfield forward Oliver Wilkes was sin-binned for holding down the home side took advantage.

Substitute John Grayshon went over from yet another penalty and the in-form Thorman added a further three penalty goals as Huddersfield pulled away.

But the Centurions again showed great determination as winger Steve Maden reduced the gap with a 55-metre try and Huddersfield hearts were fluttering when John Wilshire touched down with eight minutes to go.

But Huddersfield did enough to hold on and substitute Hefin O?Hare?s last-minute interception try from a Wilkes pass sealed a flattering scoreline for Huddersfield.

Huddersfield: Reilly, St Hilaire, Evans, Clayton, Donlan, Thorman, March, McDonald, Drew, Gannon, Nero, Smith, Crabtree. Replacements: O?Hare, Grayshon, White, Jackson.

Leigh: Wilshere, Cooper, P. Jones, Halliwell, Maden, Govin, J. Duffy, Fleary, Rowley, Stapleton, Wilkes, Leafa, Kent. Replacements: C. Jones, Stevens, Mears, Sturm.

Huddersfield: 32 (16) Tries: Evans, Thorman, Grayshon, O'Hare. Goals: Thorman 8.

Leigh: 22 (10) Tries: Govin, Maden, Wilshere. Goals: P. Jones 5.

Referee: Steve Ganson (St Helens) Attendance: 3,889

Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this great article.