Alex Gerrard in action
Widnes Vikings overcame a stiff test from part-timers Halifax to start the Qualifiers with a victory at The Shay.
Halifax, the lowest-ranked Championship side to reach the Qualifiers, performed well in a rare scoreless first half.
Widnes, who finished ninth in Super League at the end of the regular season, only made the result safe with two tries in the final three minutes.
It took until nine minutes into the second half before the first points were scored, as centre Charly Runciman finally found a way through.
That looked like being enough to settle things, but Alex Gerrard did manage to add a second late on to extend the Vikings' lead a little further.
Lloyd White successfully kicked over the extras, before Runciman added a third try of the low-scoring affair in the dying stages.
