London Broncos coach, Mike Eccles, will have circled the trip to the Huddersfield Giants as a potential red letter day for his side as they headed north looking for the two points which would lift them above a woeful Hull FC and into eleventh spot with just two games remaining and further embarrass the Black & Whites who are guaranteed Super League rugby in 2025 under the IMG criteria.

The Huddersfield Giants have their own problems as they try to guard their ninth spot from a late charge from the Castleford Tigers who lie just a point behind on the league table, but the bookies believed that this would be a Giants win as they were handicapped by fourteen points on the coupon.

It was London with seemingly more to play for.

Huddersfield had the best of the early play and spent most of it in the London half but the visitors defended well and kept them at bay as the Giants picked the wrong options on the last tackle and against the run of play it was the Broncos who hit the front when Marcus Stock set of sideways, spotted a weak point in the Giants defence and straightened up to go over. Oli Leyland added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.

Back-to-back errors from London, Hakin Miloudi losing the ball in the tackle on his own twenty and then and Jarred Bassett making a meal of a Tui Lolohea kick through to allow the Giants full back to collect his own kick and score. Olly Russell added the conversion to level the scores.

A late tackle on Russell on thirty-one gifted Russell a penalty from twenty out by the left wing, the Giants man finding the target to put his side into a two-point lead.

A brilliant run from Kevin Naiqama presented Lolohea with a golden opportunity and with a minute to go to half time the Giants full back went in from twenty-five metres, sliding over to score in the wet conditions. As the siren sounded Russell added the conversion for a 14-6 lead at the break.

On forty-four Miloudi came in off the wing to ground a Leyland grubber kick to the corner to reduce the arrears to 10-14. Leyland pushed his kick wide of the far upright to leave his side still four adrift but right back in the game.

On fifty-one a deft Leyland grubber was chased and grounded by Sadiq Adebiyi to level the scores with the Broncos looking the more dangerous of the two sides. Leyland added the conversion for a 16-14 lead, the hope was tangible of a first away win of the season.

A high tackle on Russell on fifty-eight, twenty out from the London sticks enabled him to kick the penalty which levelled the scores as the game went into its last quarter and backchat from Josh Rourke in his own line, attempting to get the ball back into play from a Giants kick, resulted in a second Giants penalty, again from the boot of Russell, to regain the lead for the Giants.

Tempers frayed on seventy-five with Will Lovell being sinbinned for a late hit in the tackle, London down to twelve for the remaining five minutes. On the final play of the resulting six, Harry Rushton took a short pass from Leroy Cudjoe to dive over from five metres to seal the Giants win. Russell couldn’t add the extras, leaving a nervous last three minutes which the Giants survived.

Heartbreak again for London as they lost yet another close encounter and remain at the bottom of the table. They need to win one of their last two games, away at Catalans and Warrington, to overtake Hull FC on points should the Airlie Birds lose their last two games. For the Giants it was a win but far from convincing as defensive lapses allowed the visitors to score from kicks which split the defence. It should see the Giants end the season in ninth and regroup for next year under the coaching of Luke Robinson who has just put pen to paper on a three year deal.

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea (2T), McGowan, Marsters, Naiqama, Bibby, Clune, Russell (5/6 G), Hill, Deakin, Greenwood, Livett, Rushton (T), Cudjoe.  Subs: Rush, Ikahihifo, English, Wilson. 18th Man: Salabio.

London Broncos: Rourke, Kershaw, Natoli, Bassett, Miloudi (T), Leyland (2/3 G), Campagnolo, Butler, Davis, Kennedy, Lovell (SB on 75), Adebiyi (T), Stock (T).  Subs: Tison, Bienek, Jones, Waine. 18th Man: Storey.

Half-Time: 14-6.

Full-Time: 22-16.

Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 8-6, 12-6, 14-6 :HT: 14-10, 14-14, 14-16, 16-16, 18-16, (SB), 22-16 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: London – Square – Huddersfield – Square – London – Square - Huddersfield.

Referee: James Vella.