Crabtree powers off the bench to bulk up Giants

Huddersfield 28 Warrington 1

Huddersfield looked every inch the top-four side they have become as they demonstrated the strength of their bench in an impressive victory. Rarely has the adage that you can gauge a team's quality by its substitutes been better illustrated than by the Giants in this game.

They had looked sharp from the start, particularly when the outstanding Luke Robinson was involved, but Warrington had created the better chances though they were wasted when Ben Harrison fumbled on the line and Paul Johnson failed to get the ball to the unmarked Brian Carney.

However, the balance of the game shifted irrevocably when the Giants' coach, Nathan Brown, shuffled his pack. Paul Jackson scored from Robinson's pass with his second touch of the ball and, after the formidable Eorl Crabtree had caused havoc with his first few carries, yet another substitute, Scott Moore, touched down from more good work from Robinson.

The scrum-half then linked with Brett Hodgson to send Leroy Cudjoe over. Hodgson's penalty then made it 18-0 and Warrington made up some ground at the start of the second half when Ben Westwood did remarkably well to step through and stretch over the try-line. Robinson was felled by Richie Mathers' high tackle when he might otherwise have scored, but Huddersfield got the try anyway when Cudjoe claimed his second from Hodgson's long pass.

There was more unmistakable quality in the way Moore went to the blind-side on the last tackle of a set, to kick perfectly for Michael Lawrence to touch down. An out-gunned Warrington got one back at the end when Carney raced down his wing to reach Lee Briers' kick and score his first try since his return to rugby league. Otherwise, the game will have been a reminder to him of how tough the code can be.

The Giants' coach Nathan Brown was full of praise for Crabtree. "He was outstanding," he said. "He showed why Tony has picked him for England and put in a world-class performance for us."

Huddersfield: B Hodgson; Cudjoe, Lawrence, Whatuira, D Hodgson; Brown, Robinson; Mason, Lunt, Griffin, Wild, Fulton, Faiumu. Substitutes used: Moore, Crabtree, Jackson, Aspinwall.

Warrington: Mathers; Carney, Johnson, King, Riley; Bridge, Briers; Wood, Monaghan, Carvell, L Anderson, Harrison, Westwood. Substitutes used: Clarke, Cooper, Mitchell, Blythe.

Referee: I Smith (Oldham)