Giants give Brown dream League start - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Giants give Brown dream League start

15/02/2009 10:42:02 AM Comments (0)

Australian coach Nathan Brown enjoyed a winning start to his Super League career when his Huddersfield side clinched a 30-8 win at Catalans Dragons in France on Saturday.

Former St George Illawarra coach Brown, who has taken over from Jon Sharp on a three-year contract, saw second row Simon Finnigan mark his Giants debut with two tries with Shaun Lunt, David Hodgson and Andy Raleigh also scoring.

Australian full-back Tony Duggan scored his 100th try in the English game but it was not enough to prevent Celtic Crusaders going down to a 28-16 defeat at Salford, their second successive defeat.

On Friday, Leeds made it two wins out of two in defence of their title with an 18-4 victory over Wakefield whose squad had been decimated through injury and illness.

Fresh from their opening 12-6 win at Wigan, Wakefield were in the hunt for another shock victory until debutant Danny Buderus sent Ian Kirke over for the match-clinching try seven minutes from the end.

Leeds, too, were short of experience with skipper Kevin Sinfield one of five internationals on the sidelines because of a calf injury, although they were able to welcome former Australia hooker Buderus to Super League.

Wigan's poor start to the season continued at the KC Stadium as they were deservedly beaten by a new-look Hull side 18-10.

Brian Noble's men have attracted their fair share of criticism since their embarrassing 12-6 opening-day defeat at home to Wakefield last Sunday, and talk of a crisis will rumble on.

Second-half tries from Lee Radford and Peter Cusack proved to be the key for Hull in their first outing of the season.

St Helens continued their remarkable stranglehold over rivals Warrington by overturning a 14-0 deficit to run in six second-half tries and hand new coach Mick Potter a winning 26-14 start.

The Wolves, who have now won only one of 34 Super League meetings with their fierce rivals, went 14-0 ahead after tries from former Saints hooker Mickey Higham and Paul Rauhihi and two goals from Chris Hicks.

However, Saints roared back with tries through Lee Gilmour, Ade Gardner, Matt Gidley (2), James Graham and teenage winger Tom Armstrong.

The Wolves have not beaten Saints at Knowsley Road since 1994, and their last victory against their local rivals was a 56-22 success at Wilderspool in 2001.

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