Tui Lolohea’s outstanding first-half performance, featuring two tries, propelled Luke Robinson to a successful debut as the permanent head coach of the Huddersfield Giants, securing a 22-16 victory over the London Broncos at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Despite facing an eight-point deficit at halftime, the Broncos mounted a spirited comeback to take a brief lead. However, the Giants applied relentless pressure in the closing minutes, with Olly Russell contributing two penalties, followed by Harry Rushton’s crucial try that clinched the win.
For the Broncos, this marked another frustrating outing after last week’s narrow loss to Leeds, as they strive to finish their inaugural Super League season off the bottom of the table. Nevertheless, positives emerged, with Oli Leyland’s exceptional kicking play leading to rapid tries from Hakim Miloudi and Sadiq Adebiyi early in the second half, invigorating an otherwise low-energy match.
The Broncos initially showcased their offensive prowess, with Adebiyi making impressive strides before Marcus Stott scored from close range, giving London an early 6-0 lead. Leyland’s conversion gave the visitors confidence, and a crucial early opportunity missed by Josh Rourke could have extended their advantage.
Huddersfield weathered the early pressure and bounced back in the last ten minutes of the first half, highlighted by Lolohea’s momentous double. His first try came through a fortunate deflection, but the second, just before halftime, was a display of skill, as Kevin Naiqama set him up perfectly.
After entering the break with a 14-6 lead, the Giants faced an unexpected resurgence from Leyland and the Broncos. Leyland’s clever play immediately after the restart led to Miloudi scoring, followed by Adebiyi’s try that briefly put London ahead.
However, two penalties from Russell steadied the ship for Huddersfield, and with the Broncos’ Will Lovell sin-binned for a high tackle, Rushton’s late try sealed a hard-fought victory for the Giants.
Looking ahead, the Huddersfield Giants are set to host the Warrington Wolves on Saturday at 6 PM, while the London Broncos will travel to take on the Catalans Dragons later that evening at 8 PM.
