Super League: Huddersfield Giants v London Broncos preview
Last Updated: 20/06/14 12:36pm
Huddersfield Giants will aim to consolidate their place in Super League's play-offs on Saturday when they host London Broncos at the John Smith's Stadium.
Back-to-back Super League successes has seen the Giants climb up to sixth in the ladder, while the capital side's search for a victory goes into a 17th match this weekend.
Huddersfield enter the clash on the back of victory over Leeds Rhinos, who continue to slip after taking an early-season lead, with a fantatstic second-half comeback at Headingley Carnegie resulting in a Giants win.
The visitors rallied from 12-6 down at the break to clinch a tense 24-22 triumph and extend their winning streak in Leeds to five matches.
Meanwhile, it looked like the Broncos wretched form was ready to give way at the Rapid Solicitors Stadium last Friday as Joe Grima's side entered the break 10-4 up.
Alas, their dismal run continued when Wakefield Wildcats turned the tables in the second half to record an 18-10 victory.
Although the Broncos remain rooted at the foot of the table, Giants assistant Kieron Purtill insists there is no room for complacency.
“Last time we played London our attitude towards the game, particularly doing the small things as individuals and then collectively as a group, wasn’t right," he told the club's official site.
"It turned out to be a really tough game. Our second half performance was a lot better than the first half performance down there, we don’t want a repeat of that.
Repeat effort
"What we do want a repeat of is the 80 minutes effort against Leeds Rhinos and hopefully we will get that this week.”
Paul Anderson, the Huddersfield head coach, has made just one enforced change to the side which beat the Rhinos last time out.
A broken hand has ruled Aaron Murphy out, paving the way for Anthony Mullally to make his return to the match-day squad.
Broncos boss Grima names a total of three changes to the squad which made the trip to Wakefield last Friday with Erjon Dollapi, Joe Keyes and Denny Solomona all joining the travelling party.
Their inclusions mean there are no places for Ben Farrar, Maxime Herold and Jon Wallace, while winger Kieron Dixon is not yet fully fit.
It will be Grima's first trip to the John Smith's Stadium since replacing Tony Rea as Broncos head coach, but the Australian admits he has a lot of respect for his opposite number.
"Huddersfield have been great, they can certainly set up some shapes and tries and they have some big men through the middle of the field," he told London Broncos' official site.
"I've got a lot of respect for Paul Anderson as a coach and I think their six, seven and one are one of the best combinations in the competition."
Huddersfield Giants: Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Brough, Robinson, Crabtree, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Bailey, Lawrence, Patrick, Faiumu, Ta'ai, Wood, Broughton, Mullally, Johnson.
London Broncos: Caton-Brown, Cook, Cunningham, Dollapi, Drinkwater, Foster, Greenwood, Griffin, Keyes, Krasniqi, Lovell, Macani, Mataitonga, Minns, Moore, O'Callaghan, Slyney, Solomona, Vea.