Huddersfield Giants are on the brink of securing their place in the Super 8s.

Coach Rick Stone’s side moved to within one win of a top-eight finish and automatic ticket into Super League 2018 with an emphatic victory over unimpressive Widnes Vikings.

That Super 8s spot should be confirmed with a home triumph over bottom club Leigh Centurions next Friday night.

And after completing their first double of the campaign, following Huddersfield’s 28-16 opening-night success over at Widnes back in February, hopes will be high everything will go according to plan in six days’ time and ahead of the last game of the regular season at Hull the following Friday The Giants couldn’t have made a better start to the contest, racing into an 18-point lead in as many minutes.

Huddersfield Giants' Darnell McIntosh goes in to score his team's fifth try

Within six minutes they hit the front when Kruise Leeming switched the play to the left for Shannon Wakeman to score his first Huddersfield try on home soil, and Martyn Ridyard landed the first of his four first-half conversions.

Try No2 followed five minutes later when great hands on the right have Leroy Cudjoe the chance to pass on to Jermaine McGillvary to slice over.

And on their next concerted attack the hosts were over again as Lemming teed-up Ryan Hinchcliffe perfectly to scorch through unopposed.

Widnes did finally settle to the task and created a couple of decent chances, with Stefan Marsh spilling the ball with the line at his mercy and Greg Burke being held up over the try line.

However, it was still no great surprise when the Giants extended their advantage five minutes before the break.

Huddersfield Giants' Shannon Wakeman (right) celebrates scoring his sides first try (Pic by John Rushworth)

Cudjoe, who just a few minutes earlier had just failed to ground a loose ball in the Widnes in-goal area, was held up on the Vikings line before Adam O’Brien showed great strength to plunge over.

At 24-0 up at the interval, the home contingent couldn’t have been too much happier.

Huddersfield started the second half just as they did the first, although they had to wait 10 minutes to cross for a fifth time when Danny Brough broke from a scrum and fed Jordan Rankin, whose long pass sent Darnell McIntosh over with ease, with Ridyard’s conversion bringing up the 30-point mark for the home team.

With the Giants in total cruise control and probably already having one eye on next Friday’s crucial home clash against Leigh, it took them until the 70th minute to extend their lead when the ball was again shifted to the right for McGillvary to finish in the corner.

Huddersfield Giants' Leroy Cudjoe charges into Widnes Vikings'Aaron Heremaia

And the 40-point mark was brought up with two minutes remaining when Leeming popped up the pass for Ukuma Ta’ai to storm over under the posts for Ridyard to land his sixth goal of the night – it rounded off the most comfortable of wins.

Wigan coach Shaun Wane has placed all 10 of his club’s last fixtures of the season in the must-win category as he aims to keep alive their Betfred Super League title defence.

The reigning champions are down in seventh place after winning just eight of their first 20 matches but they stopped the rot with a victory over Widnes last Sunday and will aim to keep in touch with the top four when they take on Catalans Dragons in Perpignan today.