London on brink of a new world

London Broncos 16 Huddersfield 1

After Chris Thorman had put the Giants ahead with a penalty, the first try of the game was tinged with controversy. Eorl Crabtree fielded the kick-off with his foot over the dead-ball line. But, instead of being awarded the penalty they expected, Huddersfield were forced to drop out and, from that possession, London put together a flowing attack down the right flank, with Solomon Haumono and Tyrone Smith setting up Nick Bradley-Qalilawa.

There has been little to choose between these two sides throughout the season and further opportunities were hard to come by until Thorman kicked a second penalty to level the scores. The Broncosconceded penalties around the play-the-ball and a third Thorman kick put the Giants in the lead.

It was a scrappy error-ridden affair, until London regained the lead with a try about which there could be no arguments. Their mid-season signing, Feleti Mateo, fooled everyone with a well-disguised reverse pass to Zeb Luisi that opened the way to the line for the full-back.

That sparked a new intensity with London putting in huge tackles and the Giants' Crabtree being penalised for a high one on Danny Williams, triggering an angry confrontation with Haumono.

Huddersfield regained the initiative ten minutes after the interval when Stanley Gene took Paul March's pass standing still but burst through to set up Thorman for a converted try and a two point lead.

Again London responded with a quality try, started from the scrum by Luke Dorn, carried on by Mateo and Paul Sykes and finished by Jon Wells. Sykes converted and although London had plenty of defending to do they looked fiercely determined to end life at their current home and under their current name before their transformation into Harlequins with as much pride as they can muster.

This was a long way from being their most fluent performance of the season, but there is steel about them as well and that could be just as important.

London: Luisi; Wells, Smith, Sykes, Bradley-Qalilawa, Hopkins, Dorn; Trindall, Highton, Armour, Haumono, Ablett, Mbu. Substitutes used: Williams, Tookey, Lolohea, Mateo.

Huddersfield: Reilly; O'Hare, Evans, De Vere, St Hilaire, Thorman, March; McDonald, Drew, Crabtree, Nero, Jones, Gene. Substitutes used: Gannon, Grayshon, White, Jackson.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).