Muristek
Did Huddersfield miss their one shot at glory in the Challenge Cup final?
History tells us that underdogs who lose finals often struggle to keep their squad together and keep challenging the elite
By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required
As we awaited a train north out of N17 on Saturday teatime, an hour after referee James Child had blown the final whistle – if there was a hooter, few heard it in the cacophony of ecstasy coming from the Wigan end – a slightly intoxicated, middle-aged Huddersfield fan declared: “We’ll be a better team for that. We’ll get to the Grand Final next – just you watch.” Despite being somewhat light of head, he neither sounded nor looked convinced. And that is the Giants’ problem.
Most agreed with the Huddersfield coach Ian Watson’s assessment that the better team lost, but his pre-match target “to be a top-four club in everything we do, start achieving a high level of consistency” is more important in the long run. The assumption that Huddersfield – or Watson – will lift the Challenge Cup or Super League trophy soon does not bear scrutiny.
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