Jake Wardle, on debut for Huddersfield Giants produced a two-try man-of-the-match performance as they downed a dismal Widnes outfit 28-18.
Wardle was on hand early on to take a great Jordan Rankin kick to open the scoring. But Widnes took the lead when Danny Craven spotted a gap near the Giants’ line and Tom Gilmore converted.
Another young Giants player, Sam Wood was next to crash over as he out muscled Charly Runciman to give Huddersfield a 10-6 lead at half-time.
Wardle started the scoring in the second half when the Giants’ other debutant Oliver Russell kicked with pinpoint accuracy for the centre.
Widnes again came back into the game through Ryan Ince but Ukuma Ta’ai pushed the gap back out to ten.
Gilmore closed the gap once again with Wardle off the field after he tackled Hanbury dangerously. But Alex Mellor sealed the game late on for Huddersfield.
Giants: Rankin, McIntosh, Wood, Wardle, Mamo, Turner, Russell, Ikahihifo, O’Brien, Clough, Mellor, Ta’ai, Hinchcliffe; Interchanges: Leeming, Lawrence, Smith, English
Tries: Wardle 2, Wood, Ta’ai, Mellor; Goals: Wood 4
Sin-bin: Wardle – dangerous tackle
Vikings: Hanbury, Ince, Keinhorst, Runciman, Ah Van, Gilmore, Craven, Gerrard, White, Burke, Whitley, Wilde, Olbison; Interchanges: Leuluai, Cahill, Albert, Heremaia
Tries: Craven, Ince, Gilmore; Goals: Gilmore 3
Full match reports of all this weekend’s Super League matches will feature in Monday’s League Express.
