Giants crush Bulldogs

Gene scored two tries for Huddersfield

Northern Ford Premiership leaders Huddersfield scored a comfortable 34-2 win at Batley on Sunday.

The Giants made light of fierce winds and the Bulldogs' positive start to the season to run in six tries in a convincing performance.

Paul March and Erol Crabtree both capitalised on Bulldogs mistakes to go over in the first half before Stanley Gene forced his way through twice after the break.

Rob Roberts and Crabtree, with his second, completed the rout.

Batley's only points came from a Jeremy Dyson penalty.

The win lifts Tony Smith's side four points clear of fellow challengers Leigh, who were not in action.

But second-place Workington kept up the heat with an equally emphatic 41-6 win over Swinton.

Cullen's Whitehaven team emerged victorious

Kiwi Tane Manihera clocked up 17 points and Graeme Lewthwaite and Neil Frazer added two tries apiece as rejuvenated Town ran away with the game in the second half.

Whitehaven also continued the Cumbrian resurgence by surviving a second-half Sheffield fightback to beat the Eagles 32-10.

Warriors led 16-0 at half-time, but faced a battle when Sheffield hit back with two quick tries after the break.

But Haven regained the upper hand to take their try tally to six.

At the bottom of the table, pointless York Wasps suffered a club-record 25th consecutive defeat as they went down 54-0 at Rochdale.

Latham Tawhai ran in a hat-trick of tries and Casey Mayberry also crossed twice as the Hornets comfortably maintained their unbeaten record.

Chorley's hopes of securing a first away win of the 21st Century - their last was in August 1999 - are again on hold as they were beaten 34-2 by out-of-form Oldham.

Barrow suffered their first home defeat of the season as they went down 24-14 to Doncaster.

And Hull KR kept themselves amongst the early pacesetters with a narrow 12-10 win over Dewsbury.

Tony Howcroft scored a late try to kill off Gateshead as Hunslet chalked up their first win with a 16-8 success at South Leeds Stadium.

Jamie Rooney landed seven second-half goals as Featherstone overturned a 16-10 half-time deficit to beat Keighley 36-16.