Round Thirteen of the 2022 Betfred Championship was mostly scheduled for the bank holiday Thursday afternoon as the nation celebrated the Royal Platinum Jubilee with a trip to the rugby. Halifax and Dewsbury had already played on Tuesday evening before the early Thursday kick off saw a basement battle between London and Workington.
The remaining five games were all scheduled to kick off at three o´clock with Barrow at home to Leigh, Newcastle facing Featherstone, Sheffield hosting York and Widnes at home to the Bradford Bulls. A slight delay meant that Whitehaven and Batley kicked off fifteen minutes late.
Tuesday evenings game at the New Shay was nothing short of a massacre as the Panthers devastated the Rams by 66-0. Jouffret, Worthington, McComb, Keyes. Walmsley and Tibbs all scored first half tries for a 28-0 half time lead, Jouffret only converting two with the boot. In the second half Barber scored the opening try of the half while Jouffret, Keyes, Walmesley and Tibbs all completed their braces before Murray picked up two more tries in the closing two minutes. It was the final nail in the coffin for Rams coach Lee Greenwood as he and the club parted ways.
The early kick off on Thursday saw the situation for the London Broncos worsen as they were beaten by Workington who registered their first win of the season. Full report here.
Leigh found the going tough in Barrow despite rushing to an eighteen-nil lead. Eventually they hung on to take the crucial win. Full report here.
The Sheffield Eagles gave York a real scare as they led 14-12 at the interval. Welham had opened the Eagles account before tries from Glover and Antrobus put York into the lead but late tries from Thackeray and Jones-Bishop, and a Farrell conversion of the final try meant Sheffield were just ahead at the break. The second half, however, only score points at one end with Dixon, Pauli, and Stock with a couple finally giving York a 34-14 win thanks also to five Harris goals.
Featherstone Rovers maintained their unbeaten table-topping position thanks to a 46-10 win over Newcastle. Leilua and Wildie put Rovers 12-0 up inside eleven minutes but tries from Donaghy and Robson meant that Thunder trailed by just a point at the interval. The second half was all one-way traffic with a brace for Jacks, a hat-trick for Smith and one each for Gale and Bussey to make the final score line very one-sided.
The Widnes woes go from bad to worse as they were thrashed by the Bradford Bulls who haven´t had the best of seasons themselves. Baldwinson and Millar put the Bulls 12-0 ahead at the break and Gill extended that soon after the restart before Tyrer got the home sides only try of the game. Burton went in for the Bulls and Millar got his second with a Flanagan drop goal on seventy-nine rubbing salt into the already smarting wound.
The Batley Bulldogs made no mistake in beating Whitehaven by 46-6 with first half tries from Morton and Wilshaw setting a platform, despite a response from Bulman, and a half time lead of just 14-6. The second half was all Batley with White, Hooley, Buchanan, Leak, Morton and Reilly all getting tries to ensure that they stayed fifth in the table.
More Championship games to come over the weekend.
