Round six kicked off on Friday night when the Dewsbury Rams played their second game in forty-eight hours at home to Featherstone Rovers, just two days after their trip to Cumbria to play Workington in the postponed Round two game.
London Broncos hosted Halifax on Saturday afternoon, and the round was completed with four games on Sunday as; Doncaster hosted Batley, Workington travelled to Odsal to take on the Bulls, Whitehaven made the slightly shorter journey from Cumbria to Leigh, and Sheffield took on the Hunslet Hawks at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Dewsbury must have been delighted with their Wednesday nights work as they took the points off Workington, despite going behind to a Forrester try. Grady and Adamson both scored tries for a 12-10 half-time lead. Wilde extended the margin early in the second before Shackley scored for Workington to give their supporters some hope. Tries from Hyde and Brown sealed the Rams win, their third of the campaign.
But returning to home turf on Friday night it was a different story against Featherstone Rovers. The game was nip and tuck in the first half as Hale, Thackeray and Grant scored for the home side answered by four tries from Bostock, Sharp and Marginet (2), to give a score of 20-20 at the interval. Marginet, Milner and Cording sealed the win for the visitors and a late try from Hemingway was simply consolation.
On Saturday afternoon the London Broncos got their third win of the season with a 22-18 win over Halifax in a highly competitive game that went to the wire. Harrison gave the Broncos the lead but Saltonstall levelled before Heaton snatched the lead for Halifax. Garside struck back for the Broncos and the sides were tied 12-12 at half time. The visitors were in the lead through Cahalane on fifty-four but Macari and Dwyer edged the Broncos in front by 22-18 with a quarter of an hour to go. Both sides defended well in the closing stages and the Broncos got the points.
The early kick-off on Sunday saw Doncaster come within four minutes of their first win of the season, only to have their hearts broken by Batley Bulldogs. Turnout and Clarke, along with three Scott goals gave the home side a commanding 14-0 lead after half an hour but they couldn't maintain the momentum. brown pulled one back for the Bulldogs just before half time and a try from Rettie on sixty-nine set up a grandstand finish. With four minutes remaining Southernwood went over and he converted his own try to steal the two points, and break Doncaster hearts, with a 16-14 win.
It was business as usual for Leigh Centurions and Bradford Bulls as both sides swept aside their opposition to continue their relentless charge to the top two spots.
Bradford entertained Workington Town and were 14-0 ahead by half time thanks to tries from Pitts, Mullaney and Williams. Henry added one in the second half before Workingtons only try of the game on the hour mark from Whiteley. Three more tries; seconds from Williams and Henry and one from Gaskell sealed another impressive Bulls win at 36-6.
Leigh are now the only one hundred percent side in the top two divisions and they demolished sorry Whitehaven with a twelve try haul, although Ridyard missed half of his conversion attempts. It was already 32-0 by half time thanks to a first half hat-trick from Pownall, two from Kay, and a try each from Platt and Ridyard. The second half was one-way traffic as Kay completed his hat-trick, Emmitt, McNally, and Brierley all scored before Ridyard got his second of the game. Leigh are now +167 in the points difference column and looking unstoppable.
The afternoons late kick off was again for the ground sharing Eagles as they kept up the pressure on Bradford and Leigh with their fifth win of the campaign, despite having Misi Tualapapa sent off just on half-time. Two tries from Taulapapa gave the home side a 12-2 half-time lead which Lauulu-Togagae extended to 18-2 before Mulhern got Hunslets first four-pointer of the afternoon. Knowles went over again for the Eagles for 22-8 before Flanagan scored the visitors second. The last try of the round went to Briggs on seventy-six to seal a 28-14 win for the high-flying Eagles.
Leigh Centurions are top with a unbeaten twelve points with Bradford and Sheffield tucked in two points behind. Featherstone Rovers currently occupy the all important fourth spot on eight points, two ahead of Halifax, Dewsbury and London.
At the bottom Doncaster are still pointless and next week have the daunting task of a game against their tenants, the Sheffield Eagles. |