Round two of the 2016 Super Eights Qualifiers got underway with a Friday night encounter between Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR, two sides who both picked up two points in the first round.

Saturday afternoon saw Salford Red Devils travel up the road to Leigh to take on a Centurions side unbeaten in their last fourteen matches and on Sunday Huddersfield Giants hosted Featherstone Rovers while Batley Bulldogs had to make the trip to London to take on the Broncos.

It was a real humdinger at Headingley as Hull KR gave it everything that they had as the Rhinos hung on for a close win and the precious two points. The Rhinos has a narrow 8-0 lead at the interval thanks to a converted Watkins try and a Sutcliffe penalty. A Greenwood try, converted by Mantellato reduced the margin to two points three minutes into the second half and it was down to two on fifty-one thanks to a Matellato penalty. The Rhinos kicked another penalty on fifty-five and they went eight points ahead on sixty-seven thanks to a Segeyaro converted try. A Donaldson converted try on seventy three again put KR within two points at 16-14. Segeyaro grabbed the Rhinos winning try on seventy-seven but just before the hooter Lawler scored a third KR try for a final score of 22-18.

Few will have been surprised by the win for Leigh over the Red Devils which see the Championships top side into an automatic promotion spot. Maitua opened the scoring for Leigh and Peterson soon added another four pointer, for a 12-0 lead after Ridyard added his second conversion. Caron-Brown scored for the Devils before McNally got Leigh's third. An Evalds try for Salford reduced the arrears to 20-10 at the break. The Red Devils scored the first try of the second half to get back within four of their hosts but Higson and Dawson put the game beyond doubt at 32-16. Salford weren't finished but two tries in the last three minutes from Masila and Caton-Brown left them six points short.

Sunday's games were both one-sided affairs with easy victories for Huddersfield Giants over Featherstone Rovers and London Broncos over Batley Bulldogs.

The Giants got their first Qualifiers win with a 62-16 demolition of Featherstone who are finding it tough against Super League opposition. Lawrence and Roberts put the Giants 12-0 up before Davies scored for Rovers. Ormsby, Brierley and Roberts all scored in the last ten minutes of the half for a 28-6 half-time lead. Ta'ai and Wood (2) both scored in the first twenty minutes of the second half for Huddersfield with responses from Briscoe and Hardman for 44-16. The Giants kicked on in the last ten minutes with Ta'ai adding his second and Wardle and Hinchcliffe grabbing one each for a forty-six point win.

London Broncos got off zero points too with a massive 76-16 win over the Batley Bulldogs. Tries from Soward, Harrison, Macani (2), Ackers and Cunningham saw the home side with a big 32-0 half-time lead. Garside was first over the whitewash in the second half before Macani completed his hat-trick for 44-0. Brown and Rowe saved Batley the embarrassment of a nilling before London let loose again with a Soward second half hat-trick to give him four in the game, Cunningham added a second with Williams and Ioane taking London to 76 with just one final consolation for the Bulldogs through Ulugia.

Leigh and London now join the Rhinos in the top three with Salford dropping into the bottom three on points difference. Only Leeds and Leigh are unbeaten.

Current Standings

Playing Super League in 2017: Leeds Rhinos, Leigh Centurions, London Broncos
Million Pound Game: Hull KR v. Huddersfield Giants
Playing Championship in 2017: Salford Red Devils, Featherstone Rovers, Batley Bulldogs