Huddersfield Giants will be playing Super League rugby next season.

However, Giants fans will be hoping what they get to watch will be somewhat more super than what was served up in this victory over Leigh.

While the final score indicated a commanding display, the truth was that the first half was abject with little creativity.

That probably holds the key to why it has taken until the penultimate round of matches for the Giants to ensure their top-flight tenure, because it needed a foothold before the Claret and Gold showed any freedom in their offensive play.

For the rest of the season in the Super 8s and next term, head coach Rick Stone will doubtless be looking for far more confidence and aptitude from his team when in comes to their attacking play.

Stone opted for a half back pairing of Lee Gaskell alongside Danny Brough, with Jordan Rankin at full-back and youthful partnership Sam Wood and Darnell McIntosh on the left hand side of the three-quarters.

However, with their top flight lives relying on a win, the first quarter of the game was dismal from the Giants point of view as they failed to create any clear-cut chances in a contest littered with penalties for both sides.

Huddersfield Giants' Danny Brough celebrates the Giants retaining their place in Super League next season. Picture by John Rushworth

Even more worrying was the fact that bottom-of-the-table Leigh, already condemned to the Middle 8s, were looking the more positive outfit.

Finally the home side got themselves into gear on 24 minutes as half back Gaskell supported a break on the right and scooted through to score.

Brough added the goal to put some positive momentum into the contest for the home side.

They added to the tally four minutes from half-time when Leigh conceded a needless penalty in range for Brough to fire over another goal.

Half-time: Giants 8 Leigh 0

The start of the second period thankfully fell into the pattern that the Giants had been praying for.

Just two minutes into the half, pressure led to a close-range try for pack star Ukuma Ta’ai and Brough added the goal.

And Leigh were suddenly struggling to deal with what was in front of them, and a howling error on the left of their defence gifted Gaskell the simplest of touchdowns.

Brough was again on target as the Giants moved into the comfort zone.

They were a little bit ruffled when poor cover on the right allowed Leigh winger Adam Higson to flip the ball out of a tackle to send Josh Drinkwater in at the corner, but the kick was missed.

However, the visitors were in no shape to build on their momentum and their next two forays forward were easily wrapped up by the home defence.

But if the home fans were hoping for an exhibition for their finale they were sadly let down as the Giants slipped back into their rather predictable playing style of the opening 40 minutes.

The icing on the cake, however, was added for the Giants when club captain centre Leroy Cudjoe added the final touches to an attack instigated by a breakout by England winger Jermaine McGillvary with a try on 75 minutes – and Brough kept up his 100 per cent record with another successful kick.