Championship Review: Round 6
Leigh Centurions are the new leaders of The Co-operative Championship after they secured a 26-4 Easter Monday victory over Batley Bulldogs.
Ian Millward’s men are now unbeaten after six league games and are now top courtesy of the fact that they have played one game more than Featherstone Rovers who have yet to drop a point this season.
A first half-half hat-trick by Matty Blythe for Leigh in response to a James Martin try for the Bulldogs gave the home side a 14-4 lead at the break. In the second half the home side moved clear courtesy of tries by Chris Hill and John Duffy and two conversions from veteran Robbie Paul.
Widnes Vikings are now third in the table after they ran in nine tries in their 48-18 win over Whitehaven. Six tries in the first 23 minutes by Anthony Thackery, Toa Kohe Love, Chris Gerrard, Lee Doran, James Ford and Matt Gardner – three of which were converted by Shane Grady – gave Paul Cullen’s men a comprehensive 30-8 half-time lead over ‘Haven who saw Leroy Joe score a try and Gregg McNally kick two goals.
Danny Hulme, Paddy Flynn and Shane Grady scored three converted second half tries to pile on the misery for Whitehaven who can take heart from two late tries scored by Stephen Dawes and Ian Mort.
After a slow start to the defence of their title, Barrow Raiders are now fourth and unbeaten in three Co-operative Championship games after they defeated Sheffield Eagles 50-4.
The Raiders stormed into a 28-4 half-time lead through tries from Zeb Luisi, Liam Harrison, on-loan Crusaders centre Anthony Blackwood and Jermaine McGilvray. Jamie Rooney also crossed the whitewash and kicked four goals. Mitchell Stringer scored a consolation try for the Eagles.
The first 25 minutes of the second half saw Andrew Ballard, Matt James, Michael Knowles and Paul Noone cross for further Raiders tries, all of which were converted by Rooney who finished the game with an 18 point haul.
Halifax put two league defeats in a row behind them with a stunning 50-6 win over Toulouse at The Shay. Shad Royston bagged a hat-trick for the home side who ran in a total of nine tries, seven of which were converted by Lee Patterson who amassed 22 points after also scoring a brace of tries. Other try scorers for Halifax, who moved up to fifth with this victory, included Frank Watene, Rob Worrincy and James Haley who crossed twice.
In the battle of the two newly promoted sides Keighley Cougars followed up their creditable Good Friday draw with Sheffield with a 42-10 win at Dewsbury Rams.
The Cougars scored seven tries to the Rams’ two to secure their first league victory of the season. Centre Daley Williams scored twice, whilst Will Cartledge, Andy Shickell, George Raynor and Greg Nicholson also crossed the whitewash. Half-back Danny Jones also scored a try and kicked seven goals.
Scott Turner and Tom Wandless scored for Dewsbury who have now suffered six losses in as many Co-operative Championship games.