Huddersfield Giants nil Saints 11 FOR Rugby League read water polo!

For soaking Saints squelched through a monsoon to maintain their 100 per cent record in Super League at the McAlpine Stadium on Friday.

Despite non-stop torrential rain before kick-off and throughout the game this round nine fixture was played to a finish, no doubt due to the presence of television cameras.

And, given such a scenario, both teams should be congratulated on surfacing after 80 sopping minutes.

So much for summer rugby, but this 'lottery' confirmed that Saints' are men for all seasons after soaring temperatures earlier in the campaign.

And they fully merited a hard-earned victory scoring two tries as opposed to a dozen last time out against Leeds.

That statistic is testimony to the horrendous elements and the Giants' ability to exploit them, and none more so that ex-Saint Bobbie Goulding, whose kicking game was tailor-made for a treacherous surface, and had much to with the Test scrum-half earning the man-of-the-match award.

Hooker Keiron Cunningham was the Saints' choice but, with no disrespect intended to either him or Goulding and remembering the setting, this was hardly a night for individual citations, rather it was an occasion when medals should have been struck for both Huddersfield and Saints for producing such a thriller.

Unyielding defence, ability to snatch the half-chance, and maintenance of good field position were Saints' match-winning essentials in a mudbath struggle in which not a point was scored for between the fourth and 66nd minutes, and it was only then that the visitors could be considered home if not dry!

However, what was yet again a thoroughly professional performance was marred when prolific try-scorer Anthony Sullivan suffered a dislocated shoulder as early as the fifth minute, and the Welsh international winger could be out for six to eight weeks.

Initially, at least, Giants appeared out of their depth as Saints took the lead after four minutes when, after centre Anthony Stewart had made the break, his winger Freddie Tuilagi powered through the tackle of full-back Paul Reilly to cross in the corner, with the try being allowed on video scrutiny.

Matters then resolved themselves into a war of attrition in the clinging mud, relieved only when Cunningham emerged after being buried by a three-man tackle as he touched down beneath the posts, but this time the video decision was that he had lost possession in the act of scoring. Versatile substitute Paul Wellens took a wing position on replacing Sonny Nickle with Tuilagi moving into the pack, and the youngster was quickly into the action in dealing with a try-laden kick from Goulding, while Paul Newlove, Chris Smith and unsung grafter Julian O'Neill were regularly prominent as the end-to-end battle raged unabated.

As did Saints' full-back Paul Atcheson in coming to his side's rescue in denying Ashton-based Andy Cheetham a try when Bobby chipped to the corner half-time, and with the visitor's leading by just 4-0 the issue was very much in the melting pot.

Saints' underwent a welcome change of kit for the second half, and Newlove raised spirits even further with a magnificent break but Goulding's tackle was sure, and the spotlight fell on Bobbie again when Apollo Perelini was placed on report for an alleged late takle on the Gaints' half-back.

Newlove then halted Jim Lenihan when all seemed lost, and the longer the game went on it was apparent that something extra-special was needed to end the impasse, and it came 14 minutes from time when teenager Scott Barrow broke through in miraculous manner to send Chris Joynt between the posts.

Sean Long towelled the ball before landing the conversion and added a snap drop goal before the test of endurance was over for the players, and the thoughts of the massive Saints' support must surely have been with Stan Wall and Alice Parry, who were charged with washing the kit!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.