Huddersfield boss hails Kevin Naiqama on marquee appearance as Giants crush Castleford

The 35-year-old wrapped up victory after Tui Lolohea spoon-fed him the chance to cross in the corner, seconds before the final hooter signalled the end of the home side’s dramatic capitulation.

Watson said: “We asked for a big performance as a team to represent Kevin on his 250th appearance, and to play in the manner in which he has represented himself throughout his career.

“The attitude we’ve shown tonight is what Kevin is all about. I didn’t know where that ball (from Lolohea) was going but you’re happy for him to get over the line to mark the career he has had and is continuing to have.”

Huddersfield turned a dominant display into a landslide win with five tries in the final 20 minutes, and Watson expressed delight in the way they rebounded from last week’s gruelling loss at Wigan.

“I feel like we’ve been pretty good in the games we’ve played,” added Watson. “Against Wigan we got off to a bad start, and against Saints we were good but errors cost us.

“We knew at the start of the year we were going to build and try to get better every single week, and today was another step in the right direction.”

Watson singled out Leroy Cudjoe, who started in the unfamiliar role of loose forward and was one of three Giants players, along with Sam Halsall and Adam Swift, who crossed the try line twice.

“Leroy has played in a number of different positions for us and he’s capped it off with two tries,” added Watson. “He’s a player who just keeps turning up for us and doing the right things all the time.”