Huddersfield blow away Featherstone with 62-16 win
Last Updated: 14/08/16 8:00pm
Head coach Rick Stone savoured success for the first time in charge at Huddersfield, as the Super League's basement club claimed a welcome first win in the Qualifiers by thrashing Championship side Featherstone 62-16.
Australian Stone, who took over in July, looked on as the Giants, beaten in their opening game at Salford the week before, made light of being without suspended playmaker Danny Brough to run in 11 tries.
Michael Lawrence, Oliver Roberts (twice), Gene Ormsby and Ryan Brierley all crossed in the first half for the home side with Ukuma Ta'ai (twice), Kyle Wood (twice), Brierley and Ryan Hinchcliffe adding further scores after the break - Andy Ellis also landing nine conversions in the absence of regular goal-kicker Brough.
Rovers' second heavy defeat to Super League opposition leaves them bottom of the Qualifiers' table with five games to play.
They were briefly buoyed by a John Davies try midway through the first half with Luke Briscoe and Ian Hardman also touching down after the break and Kyle Briggs adding two goals.
Featherstone's eye-catching surge into the Championship top four to progress to the Qualifiers - four successive wins - came to a predictable but painful end with a 62-6 home defeat to Leeds the previous week, while Huddersfield went into the game on the back of four straight defeats to Super League opposition.
Yet the Giants made all the early running with Leroy Cudjoe denied a try after the touch judge appeared to rule a double knock-on in the build up.
Rovers, minus injured captain Tim Spears but with Danny Craven back at half-back after missing several games with a leg problem, struggled to get out of their own half with the ball in hand in the opening 10 minutes.
So it was little surprise when Brierley sent Lawrence twisting and turning his way over to put the Giants in front with Ellis converting.
Brierley was again the creator, off-loading out of a tackle to enable substitute Roberts, on for early head-knock victim Aaron Murphy, weaving his way to the try line from 15 metres out.
Rovers bravely tried to respond, forcing their hosts into successive drop-outs, and were rewarded when Davies charged onto a Misi Taulapapa pass to score.
Briggs converted to halve the arrears but recent signing Ormsby extended the Giants' advantage with a try in the corner before the break.
Brierley also pounced after a mix-up in the Rovers defence, then Roberts juggled an Ellis cross-field kick to ground and claim his second try and help the John Smith's Stadium side to a healthy 28-6 half time lead.
Powerful second rower Ta'ai dived over from close range to set the scoreboard in motion again after the break.
Wood added another touchdown before on loan from Leeds winger Briscoe scored in the corner for the visitors, following a hanging Briggs kick.
It was brief respite as Wood scored again but skipper Hardman claimed further consolation for Rovers.
Giants finished with a flurry as Brierley helped hoist the half-century mark after an incisive break by Joe Wardle, Ta'ai added his second try and skipper Hinchcliffe claimed their 11th and final score.
