Huddersfield Giants 50 Hull KR 30: Anderson urges his Giants to be more ruthless

That was because, for all they rattled off 50 points to stay in second spot yesterday, he knows they will never eclipse leaders Wigan Warriors or stand a chance in the play-offs if they concede 30 in the manner they did here.

With England prop Eorl Crabtree setting his customary lead up front, Shaun Lunt continuing to push his own international claims from hooker and Danny Brough at his effervescent best, the West Yorkshire club had plenty of matchwinners against a depleted Hull KR.

But having raced into a 20-0 lead in as many minutes, Anderson was concerned by his erring side’s inability to fully press home their advantage.

Rovers, with electric full-back Greg Eden scoring twice against the side that let him go last winter, were back at 26-18 heading towards the hour before the hosts finally regained authority.

“We have to put teams to bed,” lamented Anderson, who saw teenage hooker Brad Dwyer give a solid debut on loan from Warrington.

“We started the game with a lot of desire to just do some small things, play simple out in the conditions and it got us 20 points.

“But then we got carried away and, next, it’s 26-12 and they came out the second half with the same attitude.

“We have to be consistent all the way through. If we’re going to score, let’s score 40 points and not concede any – that’s the disappointing side.

“But we got in a mess of a fight like that. Hull KR made it hard for us but we made it hard for ourselves too and, considering where we want to go, we have got to be better than 30 points at home.”

Their emphatic start, admittedly, came on a one-sided penalty count – 6-0 until Rovers earned one in the 26th minute – that infuriated visiting coach Craig Sandercock.

But they were crisp and ruthless regardless. Brough sent back the kicking tee, preferring to run one of those penalties, and it paid dividends as Craig Kopczak bundled over from close range to get them up and running in the tenth minute.

Corey Paterson sailed the restart dead for the visitors, one of countless Rovers errors early on, and when they self-destructed again – Alex Brown running into team-mate Adam Walker 15m from his own line – Huddersfield capitalised as Michael Lawrence stepped Michael Dobson all too easily.

When the Hull KR captain caught Lunt high, Brough added a penalty to his two earlier conversions, and from the next re-start the hosts swept clear once more after a brilliant piece of play by Brett Ferres.

The in-form second-row did not even collect Lunt’s pass but somehow tipped it back inside for Scott Grix to race away and Lunt supported.

Rovers responded through Craig Hall in the 24th minute after finally getting some ball in the Giants 20 and added another soon after when Dobson’s smart pass put Eden through untouched.

Dobson improved both but his lack of discipline was apparent, aggravating Jermaine McGillvary in one tackle to see the winger march downfield to have words off the ball before, moments later, taking an unnecessary swipe at Luke Robinson in backplay prompting a major melee.

The Rovers scrum-half – linked with a move to St Helens last week – was penalised and Anderson’s side duly scored through Joe Wardle’s sixth try of the season, Brough doing the rest.

But the visitors from the East Riding, who were missing eight regulars, were far more resolute at the start of the second period, dominating territory to see Eden eventually get his second.

Huddersfield, to their credit, toughened up and withstood plenty more pressure before escaping downfield for Brough to grubber through for Grix to settle nerves.

They messed up the restart, however, allowing Con Mika to hit straight back but three quick tries from Lunt – admittedly via a huge forward pass – Wardle and Ferres sorted it all out, Dave Hodgson getting a consolation at the death for Rovers.

Remarkably, all 13 of the game’s tries were converted but Sandercock was outraged by referee Thierry Alibert’s performance.

“I’m really happy with the boys today,” he said.

“It’s always hard playing against classy opposition but some of those referee decisions I’m still scratching my head on.

“I’m absolutely bewildered. I feel really sorry for the boys. They tried really hard.

“It’s hard enough playing a class side like Huddersfield and to accept a referee and touch judge performance like that is almost embarrassing.

“If a touch judge can’t pick up a forward pass by four metres for their try when it’s 32-24 it’s just embarrassing for the RFL that they allow a performance like that.

“This isn’t a whinge-fest for their farcical performance. Huddersfield were too good for us.

“I thought we scored some really classy tries, 30 quality points, but the 7-0 penalty count took too much out of us and Brough’s kicking game too.”

Huddersfield: Grix; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy; Brough, Robinson; Crabtree, Lunt, Kopczak, Ferres, Lawrence, Ferguson. Substitutes: Faiumu, Patrick, Cording, Dwyer.

Hull KR: Eden; D Hodgson, Welham, Salter, Brown; Hall, Dobson; Paea, J Hodgson, Walker, Paterson, Lovegrove, Cox. Substitutes: Carlile, Mika, Beaumont, Green.

Referee: T Alibert (Toulouse).