Widnes 16 Huddersfield 28: Giants give impressive opening display to Super League campaign

Huddersfield Giants' Leroy Cudjoe goes over for a try.

The Giants fell behind to an early Charly Runciman try but recovered to lead 20-6 at half-time with Jermaine McGillvary crossing twice before the break with Lee Gaskell and Tom Symonds also touching down. Aaron Murphy and new skipper Leroy Cudjoe added second-half tries.

Widnes snatched an early when neat passing from Tom Gilmore and Rhys Hanbury sent Runciman racing over and Hanbury converted.

A penalty conceded by Jay Chapelhow proved costly for Widnes with Danny Brough, Ryan Brierley and Cudjoe combining for McGillvary to cross in the corner and make it 6-4.

Hanbury failed to gather a Brough kick with Alex Mellor sending Gaskell over. Brough tagged on the conversion to fire his side ahead 10-6.

Hanbury failed to collect another Brough kick but this time Widnes escaped. The relief was short lived with McGillvary doing well to touch down from a neat Cudjoe kick and stretch the advantage to 14-6.

Another Hanbury blunder when he lost the ball in a heavy tackle put Widnes in more trouble and Symonds plunged over from a short pass from Brough, who added the extras, to make it 20-6 after half an hour.

Huddersfield suffered an injury blow early in the second half with Symonds helped off.

Huddersfield added a fifth try after 55 minutes from Murphy to extend the lead to 24-6. Brough missed his third conversion but it did not look as though Huddersfield were going to need his kicks.

A well taken try from Stefan Marsh 10 minutes from time was late consolation for the outplayed Vikings who also added a late effort from Hanbury. Huddersfield still had time to add a sixth try through Cudjoe.

Widnes: Hanbury, Thompson, Armstrong, Runciman, Marsh, Bridge, Gilmore, Dudson, White, J. Chapelhow, Whitley, Houston, Leuluai. Substitutes: Heremaia, Cahill, Olbison, T. Chapelhow.

Huddersfield: Gaskell, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Mellor, Murphy, Brough, Brierley, Ikahihifo, Hinchcliffe, Ta’ai, Symonds, Ferguson, Lawrence. Substitutes: Wakeman, Leeming, Roberts, Clough.

Referee: J Smith (RFL).