With the likes of Widnes, Wakefield, Warrington and St Helens already having notched landmark victories over the shaky Bulls this season, the Huddersfield Giants could have been forgiven for thinking Saturday would be their turn.

The Giants hadn't beaten the Bulls in 15 Super League attempts but two tries in two minutes that put them in front shortly after half-time seemed to have them on their way to an historic triumph.

With the Bulls responding with three basic errors in as many sets - including Mick Withers being struck in the back by a wild pass and Rob Parker attempting to fly-kick a dipping ball - another embarrassing meltdown looked odds on.

But coach Brian Noble responded to the rapidly unfolding debacle by yanking under-performing stand-off Iestyn Harris from the field and shifting Robbie Paul to the crucial pivot role. Noble said later Harris had been withdrawn due to a niggling back injury that has troubled him in recent weeks but, whatever the coaches' motivation, the change certainly worked.

Parker, who had twice steamed in on the angle from the left second-row channel only to lose possession, finally got the ball he was looking for from Karl Pratt and coasted over for the try that put the Bulls level at 20-20. Paul Deacon's conversion put them ahead and they never looked back.

They started well too, Ben Harris latching on to Jamie Peacock's neat offload to barrel his way over from close range, opening the scoring in just the third minute with his first try for the club.

The Bulls dominated the opening exchanges but had little to show for it when the Giants crossed from their first meaningful attack. Lively stand-off Chris Thorman fed centre James Evans close to the line and, despite the attentions of Jamie Langley, Evans produced a neat return pass to send Thorman over.

Michael De Vere's narrowly missed conversion meant the scores stayed level but the Giants did hit the front in the 21st minute when wing Marcus St Hilaire got on the outside of opposite number Karl Pryce direct from a scrum to score with alarming ease.

De Vere's conversion put the Giants six clear but the Bulls were soon level, Paul emerging from the bench to claim Deacon's inch-perfect grubber for the simplest of tries, which Deacon converted from a handy position.

With the Giants pressing in the 33rd minute, Karl Pryce levelled the ledger with St Hilaire, latching on to Lee Radford's block of Thorman's grubber and outpacing his opposite number over 90 metres to score a try Giants coach Jon Sharp thought turned the match.

"The try just before half-time was possibly a turning point," said Sharp. "You can't legislate for that. To go in at half-time at ten apiece the game is in the melting pot."

Even so, the Giants did recover to hit the front shortly after the restart. With the Giants pinned on their line and going nowhere, De Vere sent the ball wide to young scrum half Tom Hemingway, who dummied his way past Ben Harris before sending wing Stuart Donlan clear down the left. When Stuart Reardon lost his footing, the race was over before it began, Donlan streaking 90 metres for the try of the match. De Vere's missed conversion meant the Bulls retained a two point lead - but not for long. Within two minutes, the Bulls seemed to be heading for a familiar freefall.

A harsh penalty for a four-man gang tackle on Stuart Jones that saw the second row bundled over the sideline gave the Giants field position, and Thorman once again capitalised, coasting through a huge gap and sending Paul Smith over for a simple try.

De Vere's conversion put the Giants four clear and the upset looked on.

Noble summoned Harris to the sidelines, replacing him with Pratt. Within a minute, Pratt had sent Parker over and Deacon's boot had put the Bulls back in front for good.

Paul's second came two minutes later after Langley had sent Karl Pryce clear with a neat flick pass, and Radford then settled the game with a third try in seven minutes, dummying this way and that before walking over from acting half.

Karl Pryce almost had a second after tearing off another scorching break only to be bundled dead in goal trying to touch down, but Reardon did eventually cross for a final Bulls try after Peacock's offload had found the re-introduced Iestyn Harris.