Huddersfield Giants star Adam Swift is 'different level' admits Ian Watson after Leeds Rhinos win

Swift pummelled the depleted Rhinos right flank as the Giants grabbed a win that saw them build on last week’s stunning Challenge Cup quarter-final win at Catalans and seal their first win at their Yorkshire rivals in six years.

“You can’t under-estimate the importance of having a winger who can sniff out a try and Swifty is a different level of quality,” said Watson.

“He is something that we needed, and something top teams should have in terms of speed and finishing. He’s unbelievably cheeky in terms of his character but what is really clear about him is how much he wants to win.”

Trailing 12-2 at the break, Huddersfield surged back level through tries from Esan Marsters and Elliot Wallis, then drew level again after the Rhinos had restored their advantage.

With the hosts losing both Harry Newman and David Fusitu’a to injuries, the visitors went on to ruthlessly exploit the weaknesses in the hosts’ ranks and Adam Clune burst clear in the dying stages to put the seal on a famous Giants win.

“We showed tremendous character and to come back not once but twice was phenomenal,” added Watson. “The boys made some changes in the second half and we thoroughly deserved the win in the end.

“I think there’s still plenty more in us in terms of what we want to do. There is improvement in us and this group has a different mentality, they have shown resilience to get through some tough away games and it’s good for us to winning at a place like Leeds for the first time in six years today.”

Leeds head coach Rohan Smith said the injuries cost his side dear but also questioned the decisions that led to a late Jake Connor penalty that put Huddersfield in front for the first time.

Lachie Miller was barged backwards over his own line before kicking the resulting drop-out short, and giving Connor the simplest chance to kick the resulting penalty from in front of the posts.

“At 24-24 there’s another huge goal that goes against us,” insisted Smith. “I don’t think that was the right time for it (a short kick), it was an all-or-nothing play that we didn’t need at that point in time. But I think it’s an incorrect call that leads to that.”

Boos greeted confirmation of the Rhinos’ fourth home loss in row but Smith insisted he could take some positives from a performance that was blighted by the respective losses of Newman and Fusitu’a.

“We found a couple of tries to put the scoreboard back intact, but we had players playing out of position and we had a disjointed couple of edges and just weren’t able to scramble enough to push the ball back the other way.

“There’s a lot of belief in there, they back each other and we’re very much connected as a group. We’ve just had too many lapses in too many periods in games where we haven’t been good enough. We had some lapses today but there’s a lot of positive periods as well.”