Super League: Huddersfield Giants 16-14 Wakefield Trinity - Giants secure third place

Innes Senior scored a try in either half for Huddersfield

Teenager Will Pryce slotted a golden point to give Huddersfield a thrilling extra-time win against Wakefield.

The victory means Ian Watson's side finish third in Super League and will host a play-off eliminator for the chance to reach the semi-finals.

Innes Senior ran in two tries and Pryce kicked three goals to ensure the sides were locked 14-14 at the hooter.

Yusuf Aydin, Kelepi Tanginoa and Matty Ashurst tries and a Mason Lino goal had Trinity 14-12 up with minutes to go.

However, both teams missed drop-goal attempts trying to win it, but Pryce clinched it early in extra time.

The Giants would have finished third anyway, given Wigan's 48-4 win over fourth-placed Catalans Dragons, but made sure despite making seven changes to the side that pipped Warrington on Monday.

Wakefield, who will finish 10th, made six of their own at the John Smith's Stadium.

After a bright start Senior won a 75-metre race to the line after Ricky Leutele burst away deep inside his own half. Pryce added the extras to make it 6-0 after just nine minutes.

It was 6-6 inside 20 minutes, however, as Jordan Crowther did well to create space and, playing in his last game for the club, Aydin touched down, with Lino levelling the scores.

Pryce slotted a penalty seven minutes before the interval but Trinity took the lead with a fine try as Lino offloaded perfectly for Tanginoa to tear through from near halfway to make it 10-8 in the corner. It stayed that way with Lino's goal attempt coming back off the upright.

The frenetic action continued after the turnaround and on 52 minutes Tanginoa punched his way to within a metre of the Giants line but suffered an injury as he went to ground, which led to him limping off after a lengthy stoppage.

Giants rode their luck, conceding a couple of goalline drop-outs in quick succession following clever kicks but then broke from one end to the other, with a fantastic catch and pass from Jack Ashworth freeing Senior to race through to finish acrobatically, though Pryce missed the extras.

The pendulum swung back the other way as Ashurst reacted quickest to a kick forward from Jacob Miller, playing his 200th game for Trinity, to put Wakefield back ahead 14-12, but Lino skewed the subsequent goal attempt well wide.

Pryce levelled the scores with a late 35-metre penalty and the hosts tried to snatch it with a drop-goal from Oliver Russell but it sailed wide.

Miller also had a drop-goal charged down before David Fifita sent another last-ditch effort wide.

Pryce kept his nerve, though, just two minutes into extra time with a kick from 20 metres out and 10 metres in from the touchline as the Giants prepared for the play-offs with a gritty victory.

Huddersfield will find out their play-offs opponents on Saturday when fifth-placed Salford, sixth-placed Leeds and seventh-placed Castleford are in action - the team finishing in sixth will head to John Smith's Stadium on Saturday, 10 September.

Huddersfield head coach Ian Watson:

"The back end of the game was great preparation for what play-off football is about so all round it was really good.

"I thought Wakefield played really well, you could tell they had nothing to lose and they chanced their arm and tested us. The pleasing thing for us was the way we kept turning up for each other.

"Tui (Lolohea) was pretty upset when we brought him off. He was probably one of the better players and he wanted to stay on but it's about us being right for the play-offs. It looks like we've come through pretty unscathed."

Wakefield head coach Willie Poching (on Jacob Miller, David Fifita, Tinirau Arona and Yusuf Aydin leaving the club):

"They are great servants of the game. Every one of them, especially the guys that have been here for a while, have made a massive contribution to the culture of the club.

"It's hard when you have players leave, especially those who give so much to the club, but they go with our blessings. Once a Wakefield player, always a Wakefield player.

"I'm proud of them and the spirit they showed in tough circumstances at times - we lost a centre and played people out of position - but we didn't lose the effort and desire.

"I commend them for expressing themselves and having some fun along the way."

Huddersfield: Lolohea, I. Senior, Leutele, King, Golding, Pryce, Russell, English, McQueen, Jones, Wilson, Levi, Mason.

Interchanges: Ashworth, O'Brien, Lawrence, Ikahihifo.

Wakefield: Shaul, Kershaw, Hall, Gaskell, Murphy, Miller, Lino, Arona, Crowther, Aydin, Tanginoa, Ashurst, Battye.

Interchanges: Fifita, Bowes, Butler, Shaw.

Referee: Chris Kendall.

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