Tag: Wildcats

Tom Opacic, Rhys Kennedy, Kane Linnett, Elliot Minchella, James Batchelor and Ethan Ryan score tries as Hull KR beat Castleford Tigers in Friday’s Super League action; Rovers back up their Challenge Cup semi-final win over Wigan with a business-like victory over the Tigers

Hull KR strengthened their grip on a top-six spot in the Betfred Super League with a 34-16 win over strugglers Castleford at Craven Park.

Rovers scored six tries to the visitors’ three as they backed up their Challenge Cup semi-final win over Wigan with a business-like victory over the Tigers.

While Rovers can go to Wigan next week in a relaxed frame of mind ahead of their Wembley showdown with Leigh, the 11th-placed Tigers are once again left nervous about their Super League status.

Rovers grabbed the lead with 14 minutes gone as Tom Opacic dotted down in the right corner after they had kept the ball alive across the field through Jez Litten’s kick, which the visitors knocked on.

Brad Schneider was on hand to collect and feed Opacic, who gave his side the lead despite the best efforts of the visitors’ defence.

Rovers soon doubled their lead thanks to a fine sniping run by Mikey Lewis. Litten’s pass to Rhys Kennedy saw the prop go over near the posts to give Rowan Milnes a simple conversion for a 10-0 lead at the midway point of the first half.

Rovers made it three tries five minutes later as Shaun Kenny-Dowall’s offload found Lewis and he saw Kane Linnett in support for another easy score which Milnes improved.

Castleford were back in the game with 11 minutes left in the half as Will Tate scored from an offload close in and Riley Dean’s kick reduced the arrears to 10 points.

Ethan Ryan was denied a try down the right for a forward pass and Castleford claimed their second score as full-back Jack Broadbent found a gap to dive over to make the score 16-10 to Rovers at the break.

The home side added try number four two minutes after the restart as a fine run by Matt Parcell carved open the Tigers defence to set up Elliot Minchella and Milnes pushed the gap out to 12.

James Batchelor powered his way forward before reaching to touch down to become the fifth home try scorer and Milnes’ fourth conversion made it 28-10.

Broadbent was then shown a yellow card as he prevented Matty Storton from playing the ball close to the posts after stopping his fine run. Milnes kicked the penalty to stretch the lead.

Rovers made the player advantage pay as Schneider looped a pass to Ryan wide on the right for their sixth try, with a little under 20 minutes remaining.

With eight minutes to go, Greg Eden’s try in the left corner and Dean’s tricky kick from out wide were of little consolation for Castleford as the home side secured the Roger Millward Trophy.

Tries from Tom Johnstone and Matt Ikuvalu, plus two conversions and a penalty from Adam Keighran saw Catalans move four points clear at the top of the Betfred Super League with victory over third-placed St Helens in the Round 19 opener at Totally Wicked Stadium

Catalans Dragons further cemented their place at the top of the Betfred Super League table as they held out for a 14-12 win over St Helens at Totally Wicked Stadium on Thursday evening.

A stunning length-of-the-field try from Tom Johnstone and a penalty and conversion from Adam Keighran put Catalans ahead in the third-versus-first clash, but Mark Percival’s converted score ensured Saints trailed by just two points at half-time.

Matt Ikuvalu’s converted try five minutes into the second half ultimately proved enough to seal the win as a valiant rearguard action from the French side prevented the hosts from completing a comeback despite Lewis Dodd’s late score which ensured a grandstand finish.

The result ensured the 2021 League Leaders’ Shield winners secured a first win over St Helens at this ground for seven years, while the reigning champions were left to count the cost of failed head injury assessments for key men James Roby and Mark Percival which rule them out of next week’s Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final against Leigh Leopards.

Story of the game

Catalans’ performance made it all the more remarkable that they had arrived on Merseyside smarting from last week’s shock home loss to struggling Huddersfield Giants which had raised inevitable questions over their inability to stay the course.

With Sam Tomkins reverting to full-back in place of the injured Arthur Mourgue, the visitors set about erasing those doubts during a tight opening period in which they more than matched their opponents for muscle and flair.

Saints, creeping up the table after what has proved a sluggish campaign by their own high standards, gave nothing away for the opening quarter of an hour until a high tackle on Paul Seguier gave centre Keighran the chance to kick Catalans into a two-point lead.

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Tom Johnstone ran the length of pitch in an outstanding solo effort to get his 22nd try for Catalans this season

Jack Welsby’s persistence at the other end was rewarded with a repeat set inside the Catalans’ 20, but a kick from Jonny Lomax was intercepted deep by Keighran, who sent Johnstone cruising down the wing where he crossed unchallenged for his 22nd try of the season.

Roby’s exit summed up a frustrating start for the home side but they were doing little wrong, and bustled their way back into the contest when they pressed through three consecutive penalties before Percival latched onto Dodd’s kick to touch down, before also kicking the extras.

The French side extended their lead five minutes after the break when Matt Ikuvalu squirmed over in the corner and Keighran’s touchline conversion stretched their advantage to 14-6.

Having been denied by May, Hopoate finally unlocked the Dragons defence with a clever ball inside to send Dodd over with six minutes left.

Joey Lussick’s kick made it a two-point game and Saints almost snatched it on the hooter when Hopoate blazed down the right but a costly mix-up with Konrad Hurrell saw the Tongan fling his final pass into touch.

What they said

Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara

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Steve McNamara felt a few on-field decisions went against his side which put their defence under unnecessary pressure but they managed to dig in to get the win over St Helens

“We were in front all the way through the game…but we had to overcome some adversity there. A few bits went against us, but we managed to find some spirit in there and win the game under pressure at the end.

“It could have gone either way, but it was a very semi-final-style game.”

St Helens head coach Paul Wellens

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Paul Wellens said there’s not a lot between St Helens and Catalans and was proud of his team despite their loss

“I’m really proud of the team and their efforts. It was a red-hot game between two sides where there wasn’t much between them.

“There are more games down the track and opportunities to pick up points. We’re never happy when we lose a game – those are the standards we set ourselves – so naturally we are disappointed, but not in terms of the fact we went down fighting.”

Player of the match Michael McIlorum

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Player of the match Michael McIlorum says Catalans need to keep grinding out results after defeating a tough St Helens side

“It was tough and what we expected. They’ve won four titles in a row so coming here is always tough.

“We needed a good start…but we felt like we could get through the middle and we did in the end.”

What’s next?

St Helens are in Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final action next Saturday when they take on Leigh Leopards at the neutral venue of the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Catalans Dragons‘ next game is in Super League Round 20 when they host Salford Red Devils on Saturday July 29.

Sam Walters, Ash Handley (two) and Richie Myler scored tries for Leeds, three of them in the first 15 minutes, with Rhyse Martin scoring three conversions to cancel out Matty Ashton’s converted try; Wolves remain two points behind Catalans Dragons at the top of the Super League table

Faltering Warrington lost again as Leeds recorded a 22-6 Betfred Super League victory at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

All the damage was done in the opening 15 minutes as the Rhinos crossed for three tries and raced into a 16-0 lead.

Winger Ash Handley scored twice in the blistering start and Sam Walters also touched down, with Rhyse Martin landing two conversions.

Richie Myler is congratulated after scoring a try against his former side

Some excellent defending in the second half and a late Richie Myler try helped them seal victory and avenge their opening day 42-10 humbling by the Wolves.

It was another disappointing night for Daryl Powell’s side who started their Super League campaign with eight straight victories but have won just once in their last six games.

They claimed a consolation try through Matty Ashton midway through the second half which Stefan Ratchford converted.

The Rhinos started where they left off in the rout of Huddersfield as they scored three tries in a blistering opening to the game.

They were ahead after just six minutes when a super Blake Austin break against his former club saw Aidan Sezer send Walters over for the opening try.

The Rhinos continued with some enterprising attacking play which paid dividends again five minutes later when some sharp passing allowed Handley to cross for his first try of the evening.

And it got even better for the visitors four minutes later as more accurate passing between Cameron Smith and Martin gave Handley a walk-in try.

Martin was on target with two conversions to give Leeds an early 16-0 lead.

Things got worse for the home side when Sam Kasiano was sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge but the dominant Rhinos failed to make their extra man tell as Austin had a try ruled out by the video referee for obstruction.

Warrington rarely threatened the Leeds line in the opening 40 minutes and when they did have opportunities late in the half they could not pierce a stubborn Rhinos defence or came up with a poor kick option as they trailed by 16 points at the break.

With the defences very much on top in the second half the Wolves gave themselves hope of a comeback when Ashton crossed in the corner and Ratchford converted from the touchline with 17 minutes remaining.

But Leeds made sure of the win 10 minutes from time when Myler ran in under the posts and Martin kicked his third goal of the night.

Jake Clifford, Carlos Tuimavave, Jake Trueman, Chris Satae, Cam Scott and Darnell McIntosh all scored tries as Hull FC produced a stunning display to thrash St Helens 34-6; the victory is Hull FC’s first over St Helens since 2017

Jake Clifford returned to inspire Hull FC to their first win over St Helens in 17 attempts as they shrugged off the painful memory of last week’s Challenge Cup defeat with a blistering six-try performance at the MKM Stadium.

Just five days ago Josh Griffin’s sending-off for dissent cost his side a realistic chance of claiming a rare win over Paul Wellens’ men, but Clifford – who had missed the Cup tie through concussion – delivered a 14-point haul to seal a 34-6 thrashing of the world champions.

Clifford, who was yet to turn professional the last time Hull beat Saints in 2017, set the tone by scoring the first try with less than seven minutes gone and set up the clincher for Cam Scott, before Darnell McIntosh rounded the night off in style with a devastating 70-yard burst.

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Jake Clifford opened the scoring for Hull FC

Saints had swaggered into east Yorkshire on the back of six straight wins and suggesting they had recovered their best form in impressive recent victories over Huddersfield and Wigan, but they were distinctly second best all evening.

The visitors’ misery was compounded by glaring errors from the usually dependable duo of Lewis Dodd and Jack Welsby, as Tony Smith’s men effectively sealed their win by storming into a 22-0 half-time lead.

Clifford opened the scoring when he stretched over from a short pass from McIntosh, then Carlos Tuimavave added a second after a burst from the impressive Andre Savelio after Dodd carelessly booted the ball into his arms.

Welsby’s moment to forget duly followed on 20 minutes, when he loitered over Jake Trueman’s kick, McIntosh squeezed past to flap the ball back and Trueman pounced to pat it down, with Clifford’s second conversion taking Hull’s lead to 16.

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Jake Trueman capitalised on a calamitous Saints’ mistake to score for Hull

Chris Satae found it far too easy to drive over just past the half-hour mark to score Hull’s fourth, and the first-half damage could have been even worse for Saints after Davy Litten went over acrobatically in the corner but lost contact just before grounding.

Ears no doubt ringing from Wellens’ half-time team talk, Saints summoned the immediate response they required, when James Bell crossed under the posts after a storming run from Konrad Hurrell broke the Hull line for the first time.

With the half-time introduction of James Roby, Wellens’ men had added urgency, and there were signs of a momentum shift as Hull were forced to defend deep to repel a series of Saints attacks.

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Andre Savelio was in jubilant mood after Hull FC secured their first victory over St Helens in six years

But the hosts emerged uncowed, and after surviving another difficult set they responded in style, Scott darting onto Clifford’s clever kick to twist over for his side’s fifth try.

Litten failed to ground another chance in the corner but McIntosh served up a fitting finale that sees his side shake off the memory of their early-season woes and shaping up for an unlikely shot at the play-offs.

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Darnell McIntosh ran the length of the field for a Hull try

What’s next?

St Helens host Castleford Tigers on Friday June 30, with an 8pm start at the Totally Wicked Stadium, while Hull FC are at home to league leaders Catalan Dragons the following day (2.30pm).

Hull KR cannot cope with red-hot Catalans who storm to victory to stay joint top of Super League; two tries from Matt Whitley help the home side cruise to victory; a third successive loss leaves Rovers seventh in the table

Catalans Dragons remain joint top of the Super League table following a straightforward 38-4 win over Hull KR in Perpignan.

The depleted Robins, hit by injuries to senior players and missing full-back Lachlan Coote, who is still assessing his future in the game because of concussion issues, could not cope with a red-hot Dragons’ side who raced into a
20-0 half-time lead before finishing the job in the second half.

Catalans almost scored in the first five minutes when Australian centre Adam Keighran crossed the line but he fumbled the grounding, then second-rower Paul Seguier was held up in-goal.

The Dragons finally got on the scoreboard in the 14th minute through Arthur Mourgue’s penalty as Rovers defended with spirit.

Both teams sweated it out in 30-degree heat and humidity and Rovers took the game to Catalans with some impressive work by full-back Jack Walker on debut and half-backs Mikey Lewis and Jordan Abdull.

But just when the Robins were winning the arm-wrestle, the Dragons struck with their opening try, Matt Whitley mopping up a loose pass to race 30 metres and touch down.

Five minutes later, stand-off Tyrone May extended the advantage with a powerful short-range burst, knocking away defenders to make it 12-0 with Mourgue’s added conversion.

Rovers received a double blow when Walker and Abdull had to leave the pitch with apparent injuries and Catalans finished the first half with 12 men after prop Julian Bousquet was sin-binned for a high tackle.

But it did not stop Whitley scoring his second just before the interval, picking up a clever grubber kick from Mitch Pearce and Mourgue converted before Keighran added a late penalty from the half-way line.

Rovers were rattled early in the second half when Lewis kicked directly into touch and put Catalans in the driving seat as winger Tom Johnstone headed for the left corner but he lost the ball as he dove over the line.

Then winger Corey Hall fumbled a high kick from Pearce and, from the scrum, Mike McMeeken wrestled his way over the line to score, Mourgue adding the conversion to put the Dragons 26-0 ahead.

The Robins pushed upfield with five successive penalties as referee Marcus Griffiths lost patience with the Dragons and sin-binned Mickael Goudemand for time wasting.

But Les Dracs hit back immediately, Whitley breaking the Rovers’ defence and releasing Johnstone for a sprint over the line, converted again by Mourgue.

Sam Tomkins was released from the bench, replacing Kieghran, and things went from bad to worse for the visitors when winger Sam Wood went down with a serious-looking ankle injury and had to be helped from the pitch.

Mourgue rubbed salt into the wound by scoring a dazzling try, sidestepping through the middle of the pitch and over the line, converting it himself to make the score 38-0 10 minutes from time.

Nobody told Ryan Hall the game was over and the winger set off on a 60-metre run to put Rovers on the scoreboard with a trademark try for a late consolation.

Tries from Ash Handley, James McDonnell, Rhyse Martin and Cameron Smith, plus a Martin conversion gave Leeds Rhinos the one-point Super League victory; Huddersfield Giants got points on the board through Jermaine McGillvary, and Chris McQueen, plus a drop goal from Jake Connor

Three tries from the Leeds Rhinos in the second half, plus a Rhyse Martin conversion, saw them seal a dramatic 18-17 Super League victory over Huddersfield Giants at Headingley Stadium.

It was the Giants who got the quicker start as they scored two tries in the opening eight minutes, Jermaine McGillvary and Chris McQueen going over to score.

After losing Richie Myler to a sin-binning for a high shot, Leeds regrouped and hit back through Ash Handley with eight minutes remaining, but a 40th-minute drop goal by Jake Connor gave the Giants a 13-4 lead at the break.

The Rhinos started the second half strongly and made it count, tries from James McDonnell, Rhyse Martin and Cameron Smith, plus a conversion from Martin, putting them in front, and they held on to seal a tight 18-17 win, Connor and Tuimoala Lolohea unable to find the point for the Giants to bring the scores level.

Chris McQueen was on the scoresheet early for the Huddersfield Giants

Story of the game

The Giants came out firing, McGillvary diving over in the corner for their first try as Connor’s kick rebounded back for Lolohea to put the winger in.

The second try came as Will Pryce earned a penalty off the high shot, Chris Hill sending McQueen over the line with a nice short pass and Connor converting to make it 10-0.

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Jermaine McGillvary powered through the Leeds Rhinos’ defence to open the scoring for Huddersfield Giants

The afternoon got worse for Leeds when Myler was sent to the sin-bin in the 15th minute for a high shot on McGillvary, with Connor then kicking a penalty to increase Huddersfield’s lead to two converted tries in the 23rd minute after Leeds were caught offside.

Leeds had back-to-back penalties to try and build some pressure and finally made it count in the 32nd minute as they sent it through hands on the last tackle to Handley, who dived over in the corner to bring the score to 12-4.

Ash Handley hit back for Leeds after a slow start in the first 40 minutes

With seconds remaining of the first half as Huddersfield searched right on the Rhinos’ line, Connor added the drop goal to give the Giants a 13-4 advantage at the break.

Leeds came out in the second half with intent and made it count after seven minutes of the second half as they searched for a gap through hands, which McDonnell found to bring the score to 13-8.

Just 10 minutes later they got themselves back within a point as Newman found a beautiful break downfield, before Martin was set up to go over in the corner.

With the pressure mounting on Huddersfield, the hosts made it count as Austin’s high kick defied everyone, allowing Smith to pounce on it in the 59th minute to put the Rhinos in front, Martin adding his first extras of the night to bring the score to 18-13.

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Leeds Rhinos’ Rhyse Martin put the finishing touch on his team’s break downfield after a fantastic pass from Blake Austin

However, Huddersfield were not done yet as Lolohea broke downfield and Leeds were unable to reset, Connor sending the grubber through on the last for McQueen to pounce on with just over 10 minutes remaining. However, Connor could not add the conversion and Huddersfield remained a point adrift.

Despite bringing themselves back into the game, the Giants were unable to find a clinical finish to bring the scores level, a poor Connor kick plus a missed drop goal attempt from Lolohea ending Huddersfield’s chances of gaining the win and gifting Leeds the 18-17 victory.

What they said

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Leeds Rhinos head coach Rowan Smith was unhappy with the way his team started the game against Huddersfield

Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith:

“I thought our intent at the start was good. We needed to be better to solve some of the problems but the momentum of the game was influenced.

“But I am happy because we played well enough to win today. You don’t like to go down to 12 men in that situation but we overcame it. I have got a lot of belief in these guys.”

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Huddersfield head coach Ian Watson remains optimistic despite the loss and believes there is plenty of improvement to come

Huddersfield Giants head coach Ian Watson:

“It was a tough loss. It was a tough game, either side could have gone on to win it. I thought it was a real good game and a real tough one.

“Second half they probably started the better team and we started to wilt a little bit. We know where we are and we are comfortable where we are, we knew we were going to have to build this year.”

What’s next?

Leeds Rhinos welcome struggling Hull FC on Friday April 14, with kick-off at 8pm. For the Huddersfield Giants, they welcome the in-form Catalans Dragons, also on Friday April 14, with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Salford Red Devils run in 10 tries in huge 60-14 away win over Hull FC, inflicting back-to-back defeats for Tony Smith’s men; Former Hull man Marc Sneyd comes back to haunt his old side with a try and eight successful conversions, along with two penalties

Salford Red Devils gave Hull FC a harsh lesson in how to play up-tempo as they swept them aside 60-14 on their own patch to earn their second win of the Super League season.

Paul Rowley’s men were absolutely electric in attack, playing with a level of skill and energy that Hull simply could not match and cut the home side to ribbons all over the field, scoring 10 tries to inflict consecutive defeats for Tony Smith’s men.

Former Hull man Marc Sneyd came back to haunt his old side, combining brilliantly with Brodie Croft to poke holes in the hosts’ defence at will as Salford showcased their full box of tricks with ball in hand, scoring a candidate for try of the season in the second half.

For the Black and Whites, it was a stark reality check that the obvious defensive deficiencies from last season are still there for all to see, with the home side booed off the field at full-time.

Hull actually struck first through Jake Clifford, who barged over from close range to get his first try in black and white.

Salford hit back almost immediately with a long-range try from Deon Cross. Sneyd sliced through the line and found Ryan Brierley in support, before the ball was spun all the way from left to the right for a simple score.

The visitors doubled their tally five minutes later, with Sneyd supplying a lovely flat pass for Shane Wright to score his first.

It was all Salford as the first half wore on, with the Red Devils kicking clear with a try to Brierley, who supported up the middle from a Croft break to make it a three-score lead.

Hull were shell-shocked and, despite a couple of half chances to get back into the game, came up short and were found wanting again with ball in hand as Salford notched up two more tries before the break.

Tyler Dupree rumbled through some soft Hull defence to crash over before Wright cut through on the left edge again, beating Tex Hoy to score his second. Sneyd added a long-range penalty on the stroke of half-time to leave the hosts with a mountain to climb.

Things did not improve for Hull after the break, as the Red Devils added three tries in nine minutes to blow the home side away. Cross grabbed a second before Kallum Watkins and Sneyd got on the scoresheet, with the hosts providing no answers in defence.

Hull did manage to stem the tide for a brief period, scoring tries through Adam Swift and Brad Fash either side of a Tim Lafai double, but it could do little to mask an embarrassing home defeat for the hosts.

What’s next?

Castleford Tigers host Leeds Rhinos, live on Sky Sports Arena from 7.30pm on Thursday, with kick-off at 8pm.

Hull FC look to get back to winning ways with a visit to St Helens on Friday – in another game live on Sky Sports from 7.30pm (kick-off, 8pm) – while Salford Red Devils are next back in action against bottom-of-the-table Wakefield Trinity on Sunday, March 19 from 3pm.

Catalans Dragons led Leigh 8-0 at half-time thanks to a Arthur Mourgue penalty and Tom Johnstone’s try, before Mickael Goudemand helped seal the Super League victory in the second half for the French side

Leigh gave Catalans Dragons a scare before falling to a battling 14-6 defeat in Perpignan.

The newly-promoted Leopards put up a brave fight, but a second-half try from the Dragons’ Mickael Goudemand handed the visitors their second loss of the season at a cold and grey Stade Gilbert Brutus.

Leigh were full value for their modest 8-0 half-time deficit and came close to upsetting the odds thanks to a mercurial performance from Lachlan Lam at scrum-half but just did not have enough quality to bring the points home.

Catalans lost second-row Matt Whitley and centre Adam Keighran before kick-off and were already without the injured Mitchell Pearce, Mike McMeeken and Tyrone May, but they had enough in reserve to cope with Leigh’s spirited performance.

Sam Tomkins returned to action at scrum-half alongside young France international Cesar Rouge, but the Leopards, who lost influential hooker Edwin Ipape before the game because of an ankle injury, held their own.

The game was scoreless until Tomkins’ understudy at full-back Arthur Mourgue landed a penalty in the 30th minute.

Five minutes later Tom Johnstone latched on to a sweeping move to the left to score the first try of the game, Mourgue kicking from the touchline to put Catalans 8-0 ahead at half-time.

Leigh hit back early in the second half when Lam caused chaos in the Catalans’ defence with a kick to the line, which was mopped up by second-rower Joe Wardle and grounded.

Ben Reynolds added the conversion to put the visitors within two points.

And the Leopards held the Dragons for long periods until Goudemand split their defence with a powerful 10-metre burst to score in the 66th minute, Mourgue’s conversion making it 14-6.

Leigh still would not fold and stood firm as Catalans peppered their line with a series of penalties and extended possession late into the game.

What they said

Leigh coach Adrian Lam…

“I’m very proud of the team, but I’m very frustrated too because we got ourselves in positions there where we could have won.

“We lacked a bit of game management and that hurt us, but we’re close and, while I thought we deserved to win tonight, we didn’t but that’s part of the growth within our group.

“We’ve just got to look after ourselves and stay within the bubble. We had eight players making their debut last week, so we’re going to be a bit rusty for the first part of the season.

“It’s hard to see if there is any success there in front of us when we’re emotionally caught up in the now and the moment of loss, but we’re working hard to turn the corner soon and we’ve just got to stick together.”

Catalan coach Steve McNamara…

“We’ve had the worst week ever with sickness and infections from injuries sustained in our first game at Wakefield.

“We’ve lost a number of players, so to do that tonight against a very good Leigh side was incredible.

“I’m very happy with that result, we’ve had a very difficult week. We lost Manu Ma’u because his father has sadly died and he has returned to New Zealand to be with his family.

“Seven players had infections this week following injuries sustained on the pitch at Wakefield in round one. We had lots of sickness and this morning Matt Whitley picked up a shoulder injury and Adam Keighran had to pull out.

“So with the situation at the moment that is a very good win for us. Our defence was good today, but our attack was horrible, but in our current state I can’t complain.

“It’s been the most difficult week for this club for a long time and I’m proud of the way the players have responded.”

What’s next?

Catalans return to action at home to Hull FC on Friday March 3, while Leigh are on the road against Hull KR.