Championship Round-up – Week 10
London Broncos lost their 100 per cent home record in the Kingstone Press Championship after falling to a 20-16 defeat to Dewsbury Rams at The Hive.
The Broncos, who had Brian Noble in the stands in his new mentoring role, had led after Ben Hellewell’s early converted try, but Karl Pryce and Callan Beckett responded for the visitors either side of half time.
Illiess Macani went over on 51 minutes to give the hosts a chance but Aaron Brown‘s score just after the hour, converted by Kieran Hyde, who kicked a penalty goal, put the Rams clear, meaning Macani’s late effort was in vain, leaving the Broncos to drop into the bottom half of the table.
Meanwhile, leaders Leigh Centurions extended their club record-winning run to 22 matches with a ten-try hammering of Batley Bulldogs at the Leigh Sports Village.
Winger Liam Kay, the league’s top scorer, dotted down his 17th touchdown of the season but he was out-scored by the free-scoring Ryan Brierley, who ran in a first-half hat-trick as the Centurions pulled off a 56-8 victory.
Adam Higson and Johnathan Pownall got two tries each with Tom Armstrong and Andrew Dixon also going over, alongside eight goals from Martyn Ridyard. Unconverted tries from Shaun Ainscough and Matty Fozzard were all the ‘Dogs could muster in response.
In South Yorkshire, Bradford kept up the pressure on Leigh with a 56-38 triumph over bottom club Doncaster in a thrilling clash at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Lee Gaskell got three of the Bulls’ ten tries, extending his scoring run to seven successive games, while Etu Uaisele and Dale Ferguson scored two tries apiece, with other tries coming from Adam Henry, Paul Clough and Ryan Shaw, who also kicked eight goals to rack up a 20-point haul.
Former England winger Peter Fox scored two tries for the Dons alongside four-pointers from Mitch Clark, Pasqualle Dunn, Steve Snitch, Michael Kelly and impressive debutante Matt Groat, but they could not prevent their side falling to a 14th straight defeat.
Staying at the Keepmoat, Sheffield Eagles retained their grip on third spot after a 36-10 win over Halifax in the day’s late kick off.
Rob Worrincy scored a first-half hat-trick, with Quentin Laulu-Togagae crossing in each half. And Dominic Brambani, who kicked five goals, also went over.
Richard Moore and Mitch Cahalane scored tries for Fax, who drop to sixth in the table after their fifth defeat of the season.
In Cumbria, Featherstone overcame Whiteahevn 36-12 to move up to fifth in the table.
The Cumbrians held a 12-10 lead at the break thanks to converted tries from Grant Gore and Sam Brooks.
First-half scores from Thomas Minns and Paul Sykes had kept Rovers in contention and they both went on to double their tally in the second half, while Gareth Moore also touched down twice, with Jamie Cording adding a sixth for Rovers with five minutes to play.
Finally, Jimmy Keinhorst scored twice to help Hunslet to a 19-16 win over Workington Town at Derwent Park.
Jack Lee and Luke Briscoe also scored tries to help the Hawks into a 19-6 lead, although they suffered a nervy end to the game as the home side launched a late fightback.
Brett Phillips and Jamie Doran touched down in the last quarter, adding to Latu Fifita’s first-half try, but Town had left themselves too much to do.