Between the two camps and the hardy supporters who turned out to watch the final round dead rubber, few would have been upset to see the back of the 2024 Super League season.
Huddersfield Giants and Castleford Tigers were the only clubs with nothing to play for heading into round 27, which said it all about the rugby that had gone before.
Both teams did enough to avoid being in a scrap for the wooden spoon but neither threatened to join the play-off party.
While Castleford always warned that 2024 would be a season of transition after slashing the playing budget, more was expected of a Giants squad that boasted greater experience and quality.
Luke Robinson led Huddersfield to their fourth win on his watch against the Tigers but it will not be a campaign that the Giants look back on with fondness.
Back-to-back ninth-place finishes tell the tale of a club that have lost their way since flirting with silverware in 2022.
Castleford topped last year’s points tally with nine rounds to go but their results since have highlighted the lack of quality in Craig Lingard’s squad.
Any remaining patience among the fans will quickly wear thin if the club fail to follow through on their promise to recruit higher-quality players for the second season of a three-year plan.
Lingard’s men were distinctly second best at the John Smith’s Stadium on their way to an eighth defeat in nine games.
Huddersfield owed their fans a performance after last week’s 66-0 home grubbing by Warrington Wolves and they delivered with something of a swagger.
The half-back’s high kick forced Jason Qareqare into an error that was punished by Sam Hewitt and Clune’s fingerprints were all over Huddersfield’s second try.
After kicking a 40/20 to give the Giants perfect field position, the Australian dabbed through for Harry Rushton to finish.
Any hopes Castleford had of getting back into the contest ended when Aidan McGowan scored Huddersfield’s third try inside half an hour from Hewitt’s offload.
There was no danger when the full-back collected Rowan Milnes’ kick on his own 40 but he sensed an opportunity and executed it to perfection with a chip and chase over the onrushing defence.
On any other night, Lolohea may not have even attempted such an audacious play but anything goes on the last night of the season.
There was nothing for the visiting supporters to get excited about in the first half and they expressed their frustration by booing their team off at the interval.
The Castleford fans raised the volume when the players returned but there was no let-up from the Giants, Clune finishing a break by Esan Marsters to score the first try of the second half.
The Tigers came to life momentarily when Qareqare finished Jacob Miller’s lofted kick to the corner on the back of a dummy-half burst by Fletcher Rooney.
Castleford scored another through Alex Mellor but not before Hewitt raced over for his second in a big win for the Giants.
Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea, McGowan, Livett, Marsters, Bibby, Russell, Clune, Hill, Milner, Wilson, Rushton, Hewitt, Cudjoe. Substitutes: Rush, Ikahihifo, English, Greenwood.
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