Super League: Aaron Murphy's hat-trick helps Huddersfield Giants thrash Widnes vikings
Aaron Murphy grabbed a hat-trick of tries to help Huddersfield thrash Widnes 62-6 at the John Smith's Stadium.
Last Updated: 01/04/13 7:28pm
Winger Aaron Murphy helped himself to a hat-trick and second rower Michael Lawrence marked his first appearance of the season by touching down as the rampant Giants ran in 11 tries on Easter Monday.
However Danny Brough was once again the star turn for Huddersfield, the half-back grabbing a try and kicking 11 goals to help quickly erase the memory of his side's Good Friday's reverse at the hands of lowly Salford.
Any concerns about the hosts suffering a third straight defeat disappeared when they crossed four times in the space of 15 first-half minutes, their purple patch helping them open up a 26-0 lead by the break.
Brough's kick to the corner allowed Murphy to open the scoring after just two minutes, though the Giants were made to wait for their next score.
When it came, though, it opened the floodgates. Leroy Cudjoe and Jermaine McGillvray set up Grix's first of the afternoon and after adding the conversion, Brough himself went over after a break by Joe Wardle.
Further misery
Lawrence, whose start to the campaign was held up by an ankle injury, heaped further misery on the Vikings and Murphy got his second on the half-hour mark, though for the first time Brough was unable to add the extras.
Despite the comfortable cushion, the Giants were in no mood to slow things down in the second half, as Luke George's 80-metre effort proved just two minutes after the re-start.
Fellow substitute Jamie Cording was put in by a bullet pass from Brough and then a fine team move that saw the ball moved through several pair of hands was finished off by winger McGillvary.
Grix's second was followed by a rare moment to celebrate for Widnes' travelling fans, Joe Mellor going over for a try that left Tom Gilmore with a comfortable conversion from right in front of the posts.
Yet all their score seemed to do was anger the Giants back into action for the final 10 minutes; Brough again kicked for Murphy to complete his treble and hooker Shaun Lunt caught the tired Vikings cold from dummy half for the final try. Brough converted both to finish with a personal haul of 22 points.
