HAT-TRICKS from Kevin Brown and Chris Bridge provided the highlight as Widnes breezed into round six of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup with a 62-6 win over Rochdale Hornets at Spotland.

Bridge also helped himself to seven goals for a personal haul of 26 points.

To be fair to Hornets, they gave everything they had and it took Widnes a while to take the sting out of them.

But once the initial bluster had died down, the Vikings class came to the fore in no uncertain terms.

Bridge breezed in for his first try for the club on four minutes to make it 4-0.

Rochdale showed they weren't willing just to make up the numbers as they put pressure on the Widnes line.

On 19 minutes, former Widnes half-back Paul Crook benefited from a ricochet to cross for a close range try which he goaled himself to give Hornets a 6-4 lead.

It was a try which seemed to spur the Vikings into a response.

Jordan Johnstone, on in the halves for the Tom Gilmore who suffered a dislocated shoulder, sent Macgraff Leuluai through a hole and backed up to score at the posts with Bridge converting.

Skipper Brown was next on the sheet when he sold an inside dummy to cross unmolested for a six-pointer.

Second row Chris Dean was proving a real handful for the home defence and he was simply too powerful as he bulldozed his way over for a try to make it 20-6.

Johnstone was concussed in a nasty looking incident which saw Hornets substitute Jo Tairia sin-binned and from the resulting pressure Brown jinked his way over for his second score.

Immediately from the kick-off Brown sent Stefan Marsh racing away up the left and the ball was then spread to the right where impressive fullback Corey Thompson scorched in.

A 28-6 half-time lead was comfortable enough and when Bridge and Marsh added further touchdowns within five minutes of the restart it was soon 40-6.

A fine piece of skill by Gil Dudson set up a try for fellow prop Manase Manuokafoa before Brown forced his way over for his hat-trick score.

Bridge dummied and raced clear for his third try on 68 minutes to match his captain.

A superb Corey Thompson kick-return saw him link up with Matt Whitley for a length of the field score to finish things off.

Rochdale: English; Lee, Ratu, Dandy, Bloomfield; Crook, Yates; Tahouroui, Moores, Thompson, Biscomb, Case, Tilley. Subs: McClurg, Hadden, Trumper, Tairia.

Widnes: Thompson; Flynn, Chamberlain, Bridge, Marsh; Gilmore, Brown; Manuokafoa, White, Dudson, Whitley, Dean, Leuluai. Subs: Brooks, J Chapelhow, Johnstone, Cahill.

Referee: J Child.

Half-time: 6-28.

Attendance: 1,242.