Holbrook: We were second best at Giants

ST HELENS boss Justin Holbrook, who had seen his side win three of his four previous games in charge, was happy his side are still making progress despite their 24-16 defeat at Huddersfield Giants.

While the defeat curtailed a blossoming push for the top four Holbrook said: “We came to win. We had another great week training and have been playing well but things didn’t go our way from the start, similar to last week (in the 26-10 win over Widnes).

“We did some dumb things and took some poor options to put ourselves under pressure.

“Last week we were good enough to get out of it, but this week we couldn’t.

“Basic errors are the thing that has been hurting us the most and we can’t keep putting ourselves under that much pressure and expect to win games.

“But I don’t want to take anything away from Huddersfield. They ran harder, tackled stronger and did everything better than us.” ■■Former Bradford, Wigan and Great Britain coach Brian Noble has been recognised for services to rugby league with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours.

Noble has enjoyed a near 40-year career in the sport, both as a player and a coach.

The 56-year-old became the most successful coach in Super League history during a glittering six-year spell in charge of Bradford.

Under Noble the club won three World Club Challenges, three Super League Grand Finals and a Challenge Cup between 2000 and 2006. He took charge of GB alongside his Bradford duties, from 2004 to 2006, and oversaw their first victory over Australia in Sydney for 18 years.