London Broncos 6-26 Huddersfield Giants: Tui Lolohea inspires visitors to victory as promoted side remain winless
Tries from Jake Bibby, Esan Marsters, Adam Swift, Adam Clune and Sam Halsall saw Huddersfield Giants overcome hosts London Broncos in the last match of the Betfred Super League's Rivals Round; watch every match of the 2024 Super League season live on Sky Sports
Last Updated: 31/03/24 11:50pm
Tui Lolohea played a starring role to help Huddersfield to their third Betfred Super League win of the year as they defeated London Broncos 26-6 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Sunday.
The 29-year-old stand-off was at the heart of much of the Giants' attacking thrust as the home side slipped to a sixth straight loss in the competition since winning promotion from the Betfred Championship last season.
The Broncos had made the brighter start and led early through a try from Oli Leyland, but Huddersfield took charge thereafter and scores from Jake Bibby, Esan Marsters and Adam Swift gave them a commanding half-time lead.
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Adam Clune and Sam Halsall added two more tries in the second half with Lolohea proving equally effective from the tee as with his hands, as Huddersfield wrapped up a deserved win.
Story of the game
The Broncos took the lead after 11 minutes and it was a contentious score. Leyland kicked ahead and sprinted to reach it, winning the footrace and dropping on the ball as it crossed the line, though it looked like a possible knock-on. Yet the video referee adjudged he had grounded the ball legally and once Leyland had converted, London led 6-0.
They were good value for their lead, with Giants struggling to get on the ball inside Broncos' half, but they allowed their opponents back in just before the half-hour mark.
Lolohea kicked through, Bibby chased and got there ahead of the recovering Alex Walker and dropped on it to bring the visitors back to within two points.
It signalled a change in the game's rhythm and within minutes Giants were ahead as Tonga international Lolohea played a clever pass back inside as his team attacked and, showing good hands, Marsters took it on and crashed over for a try to make it 8-6.
Kevin Naiqama saved his team at the other end with a superb reach to keep Jacob Jones from grounding the ball as Huddersfield's lead was preserved in the closing minutes of the first half.
Swift registered his ninth try in five games moments before the break, taking Lolohea's looped pass almost on the touchline and staying just within the line to make it over and get Giants' third score of the half.
From the conversion, Harvey Livett narrowly failed to find the posts as the visitors were made to settle for a 12-6 lead at half-time.
London were beginning to look fatigued and five minutes into the second half they fell further behind. Clune received the ball wide near the right touchline and a stretched Broncos defence was powerless to prevent him from going over.
Taking over kicking duties, Lolohea finally succeeded where Livett had failed three times and converted to make it 18-6.
The Giants' player of the match kicked a penalty from between the posts to further extend their lead moments later as the hosts' early ascendancy began to feel increasingly distant.
When Halsall leapt magnificently to take Lolohea's kick out of the air and drop over the line after an hour, Huddersfield's victory was convincingly wrapped up.
What they said
London Broncos director of rugby and performance Mike Eccles:
"The way we started the second half is the way we got blown away in most of the first halves earlier in the year.
"Whereas this week, we're finally getting to grips with the starts of games and the intensity required. Then it's just about reproducing that.
"[Huddersfield] starved us of any territory. They were very good in that second half."
Huddersfield Giants head coach Ian Watson:
"The game was 50-50 in the first half, but then in the second half we corrected what we'd spoken about and I thought we were a hell of a lot better then.
"The way London defend, it's pretty disruptive. You can see lots of different options. As a ball player, you see one right in front of you but there are about three options to pick.
"We rectified it and we got away with it. If we'd done that against one of the bigger teams, maybe we wouldn't have got away with it."
What's next?
London Broncos travel to Hull KR on Friday, April 5 (8pm kick-off) in Round 7 of the Betfred Super League season for a match which is live on Sky Sports Mix.
Huddersfield Giants travel to East Yorkshire the following day to face Hull FC at the MKM Stadium (3pm). That match is live on Sky Sports Action.
Watch every match of the 2024 Betfred Super League season, including Rivals Round, Magic Weekend, the play-offs, and men's, women's and wheelchair Grand Finals, live on Sky Sports. Also stream with NOW.
