SL Preview: Widnes Vikings v Huddersfield Giants

Huddersfield Giants head to Widnes aiming to do the double over the Vikings when the teams meet at the Stobart Stadium Halton on Friday evening.

The Giants thrashed Widnes 62-6 in the reverse fixture in April and find themselves in similarly good form as they travel across the pennines, with just one defeat in their last six games.

Widnes return to Super League action buoyant after progressing to the Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a 36-0 win over Workington last weekend, earning their first back-to-back victories since July 2011. 

The hosts will be without the services of Gareth Hock for the next four games after the RFL’s disciplinary committee deemed him to have made deliberate contact with a referee in the win over Workington. 

Joe Wardle serves the first of a two-game suspension for the Giants but Warrington loanee Brad Dwyer is available after being ineligible to play in the Super League defeat to parent club Wolves and Challenge Cup win at Leeds.

Widnes Vikings 19-man squad: Allen, Brown, Clarke, Craven, Dean, Flynn, Gore, Joseph, Kavanagh, Lawton, Leuluai, Marsh, Mellor, O’Carroll, Owens, Phelps, Pickersgill, White, Winterstein.

Huddersfield Giants 19-man squad: Grix, Cudjoe, McGillvary, Brough, Robinson, Crabtree, Lunt, Kopczak, Ferres, Faiumu, Patrick, Chan, Ta’ai, Murphy, Cording, Ferguson, Mullally, Dawson, Dwyer.

Prediction: Huddersfield are in imperious form and should beat Widnes with ease – away win.

Stats:

Widnes hooker Jon Clarke is one try away from scoring a total of 300 points for the Vikings.

Stefan Marsh is in contention to make his 30th appearance for Widnes. 

Super League summary:

Widnes won 4

Huddersfield won 6

1 draw

Widnes highest score: 42-30 (H, 2003) (Widest margin: 40-12, H, 2005)

Huddersfield highest score: 66-6 (H, 2012) (also widest margin)