It's fitting that a game against the Giants should call for honest graft. While their players lie in bed this morning counting yet another easy win bonus, Hornets' players will spend a day at work ruminating on how uneven a playing field the NFP really is this term.

Like the Harlem Globetrotters the Giants wheeled into town, jumped through a few hoops against this week's team of fall guys and wheeled out again with yet another hollow victory under their belts. But it wasn't quite a parade.

With nine first team regulars missing, Hornets dug deep to frustrate the Giants. Good scrambling defence - including a somewhat forthright tackle from Matt Calland that left Stanley Gene lying in a heap - thwarted the opposition's early efforts.

Indeed it was a moment of defence that provided Hornets' moment of the match. As the first half ebbed away, Giants' fullback Hefin O'Hare broke through a huge hole and set off fully 60 metres for the left corner. Casey Mayberry tracked him down from the opposite wing and - as O'hare's arse fell out - he executed a perfect man and ball tackle five yards short of the line, preventing what looked like a certain score.

It was just one moment of superb cover by Casey who played his lanky, but hapless opposite number Eorl Crabtree off the park all afternoon and earned himself the official - and our - man of the match.

Hornets only reward for a first half of stern defence squandered through poor respect for posession was two penalties from Danny Wood as Hornets went in at half time trailing 12-4 following Giants' tries from O'Hare and Gene.

Hornets disrespect for posession continued in the second half as passes were dropped under no pressure, fumbled needlessly or just sent direct to Giants players without due consideration of where they were going. And by giving the opposition repeated possession, Hornets defence was pushed into working overtime. Indeed, by the time Darren Robinson burowed in for a try - superbly converted by Danny Wood under a barrage of abuse from the away supporters - Hornets had seen Whittaker and Molyneux cross to take the game away from them. The visitors also scored again right on the hooter through O'Hare. Final score Hornets 10 - Giants 30.

In the end, Hornets proved that guts and graft are worth little against the Giants. They chuck the ball about, run hard and tackle cohesively - easy to do when that's all you've got to do with your week.

And there were positives aplenty in the Hornets performance - primarily a work ethic lacking in the recent demolition away at the Giants. On defence Casey Mayberry is joned in dispatches by Wes Rogers and James Bunyan who put themselves about all afternoon. Mentions too for the halfback combination of Wood and Gartland who tried in vain to drive Hornets' beaten pack forward all afternoon.

Next week's game against Batley could seal qualification out of the group stage of this National Cup - and Hally will be keen to supplement this week's improvement on defence with a little more creativity on attack.

And it's strange to say, that at least Mount Pleasant will be a level playing field.