Championship round-up: Widnes’ resurgence continues, Craig Hall inspires Featherstone & Batley claim late victory at York
Your latest round-up from the weekend’s six Championship fixtures…
With league leaders Toulouse not in action after their game against Bradford was postponed earlier this month, second-placed Featherstone strengthened their promotion credentials with a dominant 68-24 victory away at Dewsbury.
Dean Parata scored four times for Rovers, while Craig Hall added a hat-trick and 24 points from the boot to secure an impressive personal tally of 36 points.
Below them, Batley scored twice inside the final quarter to record an impressive 22-20 win away at York.
Jodie Broughton’s 63rd-minute score – his second of the match – and Lucas Walshaw’s try five minutes from time helped the Bulldogs to a seventh win from their opening nine matches.
London Broncos ran in eight tries as they recorded a comfortable 46-12 victory at home to Whitehaven.
Chris Hankinson (2), James Meadows, Josh Hodson, Titus Gwaze, Rhys Curran, Cory Aston and Jarrod Sammut all crossed for the Broncos.
Scott Grix and Conor McGrath both scored twice as Halifax extended Swinton’s losing start to the 2021 Championship season with a 34-4 triumph at Heywood Road.
Ben Kavanagh and Amir Bourouh also got in on the act for the Panthers, whose sole concession came just before the hour mark when Lions winger Luis Roberts went over in the corner.
Widnes continued their recent resurgence with a battling 30-20 victory at home to Sheffield.
In-form forward Adam Lawton bagged a double as Simon Finnigan’s Vikings wrapped up both competition points before the hour mark. In response, the Eagles crossed twice in the final 15 minutes through James Glover and Travis Corian to reduce the margin of defeat.
And finally, Newcastle Thunder produced an emphatic seven-try display to sweep aside Oldham 40-6.
Jack Johnson (2), Ukuma Ta’ai, Sam Halsall, Bob Beswick, Jake Shorrocks and Josh Woods all got on the scoresheet for Thunder, with Woods adding a further 12 points from the boot.
Championship round 11 results:
Dewsbury Rams 24-68 Featherstone Rovers
London Broncos 46-12 Whitehaven
Swinton Lions 4-34 Halifax Panthers
Toulouse Olympique P-P Bradford Bulls
Widnes Vikings 30-20 Sheffield Eagles
York City Knights 20-22 Batley Bulldogs
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