Qualifiers: Huddersfield Giants sweep aside London Broncos
Last Updated: 03/09/16 11:12am
Leroy Cudjoe scored twice as Huddersfield Giants eased to their third successive win in the Qualifiers with a 40-4 victory over London Broncos.
The seven-try success furthers the Giants' bid to retain their Super League status, although the West Yorkshire club still have arguably their toughest three matches in the eight-team mini league remaining.
Huddersfield, who travel to Championship table-toppers Leigh next week before matches against fellow Super League clubs Leeds and Hull KR, were forced to come from behind in the first half but the Broncos, who finished second in the Kingstone Press Championship, rarely looked like causing an upset once the Giants hit the front.
The home side, with leading scorer Jermaine McGillvary returning after missing four games with a quad injury, and play-maker Danny Brough back from a two-match suspension, were forced to work hard to take an unconvincing 10-4 lead into the changing rooms at half-time.
McGillvary and Leroy Cudjoe scored for the Giants after Rhys Williams had crossed at the other end to open the scoring for the Londoners.
But Joe Wardle, Cudjoe, Michael Lawrence, Brough and Aaron Murphy added further Huddersfield tries in the second half as the Broncos - missing key half back Jamie Soward, who was hurt during training during the week - increasingly struggled to make any more of an impression. Brough added the extras.
Apart from when Giants hooker Ryan Hinchcliffe was held up over the line after a scurrying run from five metres out, London gave as good as got for most of the opening stanza, often looking dangerous when they came close to the home side's line.
And it was the Ealing-based outfit who went ahead midway through the half when a long pass from William Barthau picked out Williams who scooted over in the corner. Scott Leatherbarrow was unable to convert from the touchline.
The Giants were finally awakened from their slumbers and, after Jamie Ellis had been held up, quick hands from Brough, Ukuma Ta'ai and Tom Symonds sent McGillvary over for his 21st try of the season before Brough added the conversion from out wide to edge the hosts ahead.
A scuffle between prop Eddie Battye and McGillvary did little other than liven up proceedings before the hosts increased their lead following another sequence of passing to the right with Cudjoe this time stepping his way through for the try.
Brough missed the subsequent kick from a less severe angle, but went one better when he helped create clear daylight between the sides just two minutes into the second half, breaking free before putting Joe Wardle over.
Cudjoe reached out of a tackle to score his second and - as gaps began to appear in a tiring Broncos defence - Lawrence forced his way over from close range.
Kruise Leeming and Ukuma Ta'ai went close before Brough and Murphy also crossed, as the Giants' relentless pressure, forcing no fewer than seven goal-line drop outs in total, finally told on the visitors.
