Super League: Broughton stars for Catalans in comeback win over Huddersfield
Last Updated: 20/03/16 6:31pm
Jodie Broughton returned to haunt his former team with a second-half hat-trick which saw Catalans Dragons come from behind to beat Huddersfield Giants 46-26.
The winger, who moved from Huddersfield to France during the winter, poached all three of his tries in a 10-minute spell, during which the Giants also lost Joe Wardle to a red card after a reckless high tackle.
The Dragons scored eight tries in total, with Louis Anderson and Glenn Stewart crossing before the break, and Paul Aiton, Julian Bousquet and Richie Myler adding to Broughton's trio in the second half.
After Catalans sped to an early 12-0 lead, Huddersfield hit back with four unanswered tries from Jake Connor, Jermaine McGillvary, Larne Patrick and Leroy Cudjoe and, helped by the sin-binning of Krisnan Inu, took a 20-12 lead into the break.
But after Broughton's early blitz and Wardle's dismissal, the Giants had no way of stopping the French side picking up their second away win of the season.
It was the Dragons' first victory over the Giants in five meetings, and hoists them up to seventh in the Super League XXI table ahead of Good Friday's visit to Salford.
Catalans' first try arrived when Myler sent Anderson through a gap, and goal-kicking winger Pat Richards slotted the first of his seven conversions.
Stewart then crossed next to the poles to double the French side's advantage after the kick. Huddersfield hit back with a spectacular try, started by a McGillvary break on the right and completed on the other flank when Brough put Connor in at the corner.
Brough added the extras from the touchline and the Dragons found themselves under more pressure when centre Inu was yellow carded for an illegal hit on Eorl Crabtree. The extra man immediately told as Huddersfield scored twice during the sin bin period.
Ryan Hinchcliffe went close before the ball was sent to McGillvary to claim his fourth try of the season, and Brough then sent Aaron Murphy racing clear down the left, with Patrick up in support to score and put the hosts in front for the first time.
Cudjoe then intercepted a Myler pass and ran almost the length of the field to score, giving the home side an eight-point lead at half-time.
But the visitors were gifted a perfect start to the second half when Giants second-rower Wardle passed straight to former team-mate Broughton who strode over for an easy try. Richards' extras then narrowed the gap to two points.
Broughton took his team ahead shortly thereafter, punishing average tackling to cross for his second try in four minutes.
Wardle's day went from bad to worse when he was sent off for a high tackle on Dragons skipper Remi Casty, before Broughton went over for his third. Tries from Aiton, Bousquet and Myler then saw the Frenchmen home.
Kruise Leeming grabbed a late score for the Giants, converted by Jordan Tansey, but it was purely consolation and there were more worries for Paul Anderson as influential half-back Brough, who kicked two goals from four attempts, limped off.
