Halfback Josh Drinkwater has produced a perfect kicking display to spoil fellow Australian Simon Woolford’s first game as Huddersfield coach, with Catalans scoring a 20-6 Challenge Cup quarter final win over the Giants .
The former St George and Wests Tigers playmaker booted six goals from as many attempts as the Dragons moved to within 80 minutes of a second appearance at Wembley.
It was a turgid, stop-start affair played in front of a crowd of just 2,151 at John Smith’s Stadium but Catalans coach Steve McNamara didn’t mind as he watched his side continue their revival with a fifth win in six games.
A try from Huddersfield captain Leroy Cudjoe in his 250th game briefly suggested the Giants would extend their own winning run to five matches but the disappointing performance highlights the size of the task still facing former Canberra Raider Woolford.
The Catalans, who handed a debut to New Zealand and recently-departed Parramatta backrower Kenny Edwards, relied on their aggressive defence to grind out a 4-0 interval lead and strengthened their grip in the second half.
Veteran Giants half Danny Brough put a dangerous-looking tackle on Edwards six minutes after he went on, which earned the former Scotland captain a yellow card.
The dour game sprung to life at the start of the second half.
Cudjoe took advantage of hooker Kruise Leeming’s crabbing run across the face of the Catalans defence to force his way over for the first try of the game and Brough’s touchline conversion gave Huddersfield the lead.
But it lasted only three minutes as the home side turned over possession inside their own half and centre David Mead pounced for a try after McIntosh fumbled Tony Gigot’s high kick.
Drinkwater added the conversion and kicked two more penalties to extend his side’s lead to 14-6 before veteran stand-off Greg Bird went through a gap in the Huddersfield defence for the Dragons’ second try on 67 minutes.