Championship Review – Round 7
Featherstone maintained their 100 per cent league record and returned to the top of the Championship table with a thumping 40-16 victory over Sheffield Eagles at Bramall Lane.
Half-back Kyle Briggs continued his scoring run picking up one try and kicking six goals to amass a personal tally of 16 points as Featherstone ran in seven tries. The visitors led 16-6 at half-time with Jessie Joe Parker, Jon Grayshon and Andy Kain all going over. Misi Talapapa responded for the home side. In the second half Featherstone exerted their dominance scoring a further four tries through Briggs, Iain Morrison, Dane Manning and Liam Welham whilst Dane
McDonald and Craig Cook scored for the Eagles who are now ninth in the table. After starting the season so impressively Rovers face their biggest test of the season next week when the face cup holders Warrington Wolves in the fourth round of Carnegie Challenge Cup.
Last week’s league leaders Leigh Centurions had a bye this week and drop to second in the table as a result.
Halifax remain third in the table after romping to a 40-20 victory over Keighley Cougars at The Shay. Tries from James Haley, Stanley Gene and Rob Worrincy had put the hosts 16-6 ahead at the break, Jonny Presley crossing for the Cougars.
Further tries followed for Fax from Sean Penkywicz, Dylan Nash and Stephen Bannister while Lee Paterson also crossed and kicked six goals. Keighley, who registered second-half tries through Tom Burton (2) and Andy Shickell, remain bottom of the table.
Barrow Raiders are now four games unbeaten after a 56-10 demolition of Batley Bulldogs and are fourth in the table. Jermaine McGilvary scored a hat-trick for the home side who ran in 10 tries to Batley’s two. Other try scorers for the Raiders included Andy Ballard, Liam Harrison (two), Matt James, Andrew Henderson, Ned Catic and Rob Roberts.
Jamie Rooney kicked eight goals. Jack Walton and Alex Brown were on the score sheet for Karl Harrison’s men who face a tricky tie in the fourth round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup next week against Siddal.
The shock of the round came at the Stobart Stadium where Toulouse inflicted defeat on Widnes Vikings for only the second time this year. The French side looked to have done enough in the first hour with tries from Mathieu Griffi, Vincent Duport (two), Nathan Wynn (two) and Sebastien Payan. However an Anthony Thackeray hat-trick in the final 20 minutes threatened a comeback for the home side who eventually lost 42-36.
An impressive first half performance by Whitehaven saw the Cumbrian side cling on for victory at Dewsbury Rams. Whitehaven scored most of their points in the first half and led 18-4 at the break thanks to tries from Graeme Mattinson, Andy Thornley and Carl Rudd who also kicked three goals. Bryn Powell was Dewsbury’s only scorer in the first 40 minutes.
The second half saw the Rams stage a brief comeback with Lee Lingard and Adam Robinson both crossing. However a penalty goal from Carl Rudd secured Whitehaven’s second league victory of the year.