Rugby League: Connor Caught in Personal Feud as St Helens Edge Huddersfield

In a closely contested match, Huddersfield Giants narrowly fell 13-12 to the defending champions St Helens on Thursday evening. However, the talking point of the game centered around Huddersfield’s Jake Connor, who found himself embroiled in a personal feud with St Helens hooker Daryl Clark.

Pundits Criticize Connor’s Behavior

Sky Sports experts Jon Wilkin and Sam Tomkins were critical of Connor’s behavior, suggesting he became “selfishly absorbed” in the battle with Clark, to the detriment of his own performance and that of his team. Wilkin bluntly told Connor, “Do your job!” as he felt the Huddersfield star allowed the personal dispute to distract him rather than focusing on his responsibilities on the pitch.

Tomkins echoed these sentiments, stating that if Connor is going to try and antagonize opponents, he needs to be able to handle the repercussions himself. The former England international went as far as to say that if this were a boxing match, it would have been a “Daryl Clark knockout.“

St Helens Player Weighs In

Even St Helens’ Jonny Lomax, who was being interviewed after the game, chimed in on the matter, acknowledging that Connor is known for trying to “get under your skin.” However, Lomax insisted that on this occasion, Clark had emerged victorious in the personal duel.

Tough Loss for Huddersfield

The narrow defeat was a tough one for Huddersfield, who will be disappointed to have fallen just short against the reigning champions. However, the focus in the aftermath has undoubtedly been on Connor’s apparent loss of focus due to his feud with Clark, something the Sky Sports pundits believe ultimately proved detrimental to the Giants’ cause.

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