Championship round-up: Marsh scores four, Toulouse edge Halifax in thriller & Widnes’ struggles continue
There were plenty of high-scoring affairs in round three of the Championship.
Featherstone made it three wins from three with a comfortable 48-14 win against Whitehaven.
Nine different try scorers got in on the act for Rovers, with Fa’amanu Brown scoring a try and six conversions for a personal 16-point haul.
Toulouse remain level at the top after surviving a magnificent Halifax comeback.
Sylvain Houles’ side led 34-0 at one stage, but the hosts recovered either side of half-time to tighten things up. Former Catalans prop Remi Casty edged Olympique further clear approaching the hour mark, and not even a late, hat-trick-clinching try for Panthers outside back James Saltonstall could deny the French outfit victory.
A Touyo Egodo hat-trick helped London to a 38-24 victory at home to Oldham.
Jarrod Sammut (2), Dan Hindmarsh and Josh Walters also crossed as the Broncos recorded their first league win of the season.
Batley inflicted further misery on Widnes with a convincing nine-try rout at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium.
The Bulldogs ran in seven tries in the second half to record a 48-16 victory. Widnes remain in search of their first win of the season, despite Eribe Doro, Kenny Baker and Owen Buckley putting them 16-10 ahead at half-time.
Swinton remain bottom of the pile after suffering an emphatic 64-16 loss at home to York.
James Ford’s men crossed 11 times in total. Matty Marsh bagged four tries, while Ronan Dixon and on-loan half-back Riley Dean both scored twice. Keiran Dixon opened the first half scoring and added 20 more points with the boot.
Newcastle Thunder edged past Sheffield 24-16 at Kingston Park.
Jack Johnson, Cole Oakley, Jay Chaeplhow and Ukuma Ta’ai got on the scoresheet for Thunder.
Bradford eased past Dewsbury 35-14 at the Tetley’s Stadium in the final Championship game of the weekend.
Brad England, Ross Oakes, Joe Brown and Brough crossed for the Bulls. Former Scotland captain Brough had a points tally of 19 points in the match.
Championship round three results:
Batley Bulldogs 48-16 Widnes Vikings
Swinton Lions 16-64 York City Knights
Featherstone Rovers 48-14 Whitehaven
Halifax Panthers 34-44 Toulouse Olympique
Newcastle Thunder 24-16 Sheffield Eagles
Bradford Bulls 35-14 Dewsbury Rams
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