Round two of the Super Eights saw the league leaders Hull FC taking the trip to Widnes to take on a Vikings side who needed a win to keep their outside hopes of a play-off place alive.

FC lost at home to Castleford last week while the Vikings went down by sixteen points in the south of France against the Catalans. It was honours even in 2016 between these two, but the last time that Hull visited Widnes they got a walloping.

FC were missing half-back and kicker Marc Sneyd who picked up a knock in training, but the Vikings were missing a number of key players through injury and were clear underdogs with the bookies.

The sides were evenly matched for the opening twenty. Neither could find a way to penetrate their opponents line, and there were plenty of errors and poor attacking decisions from both sides. As the half wore on FC started to edge possession and position.

On twenty-two FC opened the scoring when Jordan Abdull stepped out of three tackles and then pushed his way over the line to score. Abdull, kicking in the absence of Sneyd, added the extra two.

On twenty-six Fetuli Talanoa was the last man on the end of an expansive passing move to take a Kirk Yeaman pass and dive in at the corner before being bundled into touch. Abdull failed to add the extras from the touchline.

On thirty-one, and with the Widnes defence on the back foot, Mahe Fonua went from acting half-back to spin off two defenders and ground. Abdull was accurate with the conversion for 16-0.

Three minutes later and the Vikings spilled the ball on on their own twenty and Talanoa picked up the loose ball and went forty metres, without a defensive hand on him, to score by the sticks and give Abdull a simple goal for 22-0. After holding their own for twenty-two minutes, the Vikings had been blitzed with four tries in twelve minutes.

Seven minutes into the second half and Widnes appeared to have opened their account when Lloyd White pushed his way to the line, but the decision was sent to the video referee who ruled out the on-field decision to award a try after ruling White had lost the ball.

On fifty Steve Michaels extended the FC lead after Mellor gave away possession cheaply having knocked on. A high kick was collected by Michaels over the try line and he only had to drop to the ground to score. Abdull added the extras and after absorbing ten minutes of Widnes pressure, Hull struck back.

Dean Hadley was next over the whitewash for the Airlie Birds when he bust the line off an Abdull pass to go ten metres and stretch for the line. The FC half back kicked the extra two for 34-0 to make sure that Hull went two points clear at the top of the table.

Talanoa completed his hat-trick on sixty-nine when he ran over the top of the Widnes defence to again score in the corner. Abdull failed to convert but now the Widnes players and supporters were praying for the final hooter to put them out of their misery.

When it came, it signalled a clean sheet for Hull, and a nilling for the Vikings.

Widnes had their chances, but every time they got close to the line panic seemed to set in. It was a professional performance from the league leaders who took their chances and muscled up in defence when it was needed. There was plenty of flair and imagination on show as the Airlie Birds got back to winning ways.

Vikings: Mellor, Ah Van, Thompson, Chamberlain, Ince, Brown, Heremaia, Buchanan, White, Burke, Houston, Whitley, Cahill. Subs: Leuluai, Manuokafoa, Chapelhow, Farrell.

FC: Shaul, Michaels (T), Fonua (T), Yeaman, Talanoa (3T), Abdull (T, 5G), Tuimavave, Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Manu, Minichiello, Ellis. Subs: Green, Hadley (T), Bowden, Pritchard.

Referee: Ben Thaler.

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