Giants end Headingley hoodoo

Brough: pulled the strings and kicked the goals

Huddersfield Giants are top of the engage Super League after thrashing Leeds Rhinos 38-6 for their first victory at Headingley in 51 years.

The Giants overcame the dismissal of Australian forward Luke O'Donnell and the sin-binning of Scott Grix to inflict a third home defeat of the season on Leeds after dominating from start to finish.

O'Donnell, who arrived in Super League at the start of the year as the most suspended player in NRL history, was shown the red card nine minutes into the second half, along with Leeds prop Ryan Bailey, for trading blows during a brawl that involved all 26 players.

Huddersfield were down to 11 men for a spell in the final quarter with Grix yellow-carded for a professional foul but they comfortably had the game won by then, after another clinical performance that further demonstrated their genuine title credentials.

It was the visitors' first win at Leeds since a 12-9 victory in a Yorkshire Cup semi-final in October 1960 and ended a 26-game winning run for the home side against their Yorkshire neighbours.

Machine

Even an early reshuffle, caused by injury to winger Jamie Simpson, failed to disrupt the smooth running of Brown's well-oiled machine.

Another strong performance from O'Donnell helped give Huddersfield the dominance up front which created oceans of space for half-backs Kevin Brown and Danny Brough to weave their magic and get exciting winger Jermaine McGillvary into the game at every opportunity.

A couple of weaving runs from McGillvary set up the position for second rower Dale Ferguson to score the first of his two first-half tries, the former Wakefield forward taking advantage of some slack marking at the ruck.

Wing McGillvary then got in on the scoring act, finishing off a sparkling move started with an offload from Darrell Griffin and continued by Brown, Luke Robinson and Grix to score his eighth try in nine matches this season.

Brough converted both tries and nudged his side further ahead with a penalty before the ever-creative Brown carved out an opening for Ferguson, who brushed off the meek challenge of Leeds full-back Brent Webb to score his second try.

Brough kicked his fourth goal and pulled off a try-saving tackle on centre Brett Delaney to ensure the Giants kept a clean sheet going into the break.

Leeds left the field to boos from their fans at half-time as they trailed 20-0 after a tame display but they showed more life in the second half, particularly after the brawl.

Red cards

Both sides were reduced to 12 men with Bailey and O'Donnell punished for their part in the fighting and the first gap in the Huddersfield defence appeared six minutes later when Huddersfield-born centre Keith Senior broke clear to get scrum-half Rob Burrow over for a try.

Kevin Sinfield's goal cut the gap to 14 points but any hope of a fightback was quickly snuffed out when second rower Lee Gilmour fed the ball back for replacement Shaun Lunt to go over for Huddersfield's fourth try.

Even down to 11 men after Grix went off, Huddersfield never relaxed their grip and they scored again when Robinson jinked his way through a Leeds defence in disarray for their fifth try.

The Rhinos were also down to 11 men by then, with Webb in the sin bin for a professional foul, and the Giants scored again in the final minute when Lunt gathered a loose ball on halfway to dash away for his second try.

The immaculate Brough maintained his 100 per cent record with the boot by kicking his seventh goal.