Hunslet Warriors vs Siddal - match report

Siddal provided themselves with some momentum going into the National Conference Premier play-offs with a 14 – 4 victory over already-relegated Hunslet Warriors.

The damage was done in the first half as Will Forsyth, Chester Butler and Richard Lopag all crossed for four pointers with Chris Brooke only converting one of them.

However, the Warriors got themselves on the board on 58 minutes when Daryl Gaunt went over in an action-less second half.

Six minutes had gone on the clock when Forsyth strolled his way over in the right corner. Brooke landed the conversion from the touchline.

Despite their relegation being confirmed two weeks ago, the Warriors weren’t willing to go down without a fight. Gary McClelland was sent racing away down field by his skipper Caldon Bravo. But a few tackles later, Lloyd Templeton was unable to touch down Gaunt’s grubber kick.

Siddal were providing the Warriors with a couple of piggybacks into their half with penalties for dissent. Eventually, referee Stephen Race placed the visitors on a team warning.

The warning calmed Siddal down and just before the half hour mark, they shifted the ball to the left and Butler slid his way over to make it 10 – 0.

The Warriors provided Siddal with some easy metres themselves when a shoulder charge brought them to Hunslet’s 20-metre line. A few tackles later, Lopag slipped his way through the Hunslet defence. Brooke failed to add the extras.

The second 40 saw little action from both outfits, and the first and only points came two minutes before the hour mark. From a seemingly unplanned move, Gaunt weaved his way to the line for four points. McClelland’s kick wasn’t academic.

Hunslet went close before time came to a halt, but a goal-line dropout was the outcome for the home side who will be aiming to make a swift return to the top flight.

Skirlaugh vs Hunslet Warriors - match report

Skirlaugh have ended Hunslet Warriors’ one-year stay in the National Conference Premier after a 38 – 0 blitz over their Yorkshire rivals.

Seven tries, including braces from Kieran Jones and Alex Foster along with a penalty goal from Ross Kemp was enough to condemn the Warriors back to division one.

Tempers flared with four minutes remaining as both sides had a player red carded along with a player each sent to the sin bin.

The home side mounted the pressure on their visitors with back-to-back sets within the first four minutes, and they were rewarded with six points as Jones collected a tip-on to score. Kemp added the extra two.

Five minutes later and the lead was stretched to 10 – 0 when Sean Wildbore sent Mike Johnson away who found his winger Foster.

Hunslet almost had two scores themselves in a ten minute spell. However, Matty Fox’s break resulted in no points and Chris Hartley was forced into touch after sprinting away down the right side.

Skirlaugh went into the dressing rooms 18 – 0 up as Kemp converted a penalty for interference and Jones doubled his try tally when he backed Joe McLocklin’s break.

The onslaught continued seven minutes after the interval with three tries in eight minutes. Matty Sheard firstly crashed over close to the posts and Shaun Painter evaded Warriors defenders to touch down.

The home side’s top try scorer, Kemp, finished a sweeping move to the left side. But, was unsuccessful in converting his own try.

34 – 0 down, Warriors’ full-back Gary McClelland had a try chalked off after Lloyd Templeton was judged to be offside in the build-up.

Four minutes from the full-time whistle saw all 26 players involved in a touchline scuffle. Referee Chris Hancock sent off Skirlaugh’s Jed Carter and Hunslet’s Jim Baker. Templeton and Jones were shown the yellow card.

Skirlaugh rounded off the scoring with the last play of the game as Johnson cut through the tiresome Warriors defence to set up Foster for his second try.

Hunslet Warriors vs Leigh Miners Rangers - match report

Leigh Miners Rangers kept tabs on a National Conference Premier title after defeating Hunslet Warriors 28 – 10 at The Oval.

The Rangers were 10 – 6 down at the break, but scored three unanswered tries in the remaining 15 minutes to pick up the two points.

The Warriors, who were buoyed after a shock win against Castleford Lock Lane last week, had their tails up within the first couple of minutes, and pinched the ball one-on-one. The Leigh side were then penalised for stripping the ball out, and Gary McClelland made it two nil.

Rangers hit back ten minutes later with a try that came from nothing. Scott O’Brien turned left and right to find an option, and eventually he found his full-back, Johnathan Youds who dived over. Youds converted his own try.

Hunslet locked the game up when Josh Murphy’s bullet pass from dummy half sent Dave Norton flying over.

Back-to-back penalties conceded by the visitors gave the Warriors a piggyback into deep Leigh territory. Jim Baker stabbed a clever kick in behind the defence on the short right side, and Lee West palmed the ball down.

10 – 6 up going into the final couple of minutes of the first half, Hunslet made Leigh work overtime in defence. Daryl Gaunt kicked downfield and Youds was pinned into his own in-goal area. The following set resulted in no further points for the hosts.

Despite the dry weather conditions, both sides were losing the ball on a few occasions. A Hunslet knock on gave Leigh Miners an attacking set, and Man of the Match Tommy Parkinson surged his way over. Youd’s extras made it 12 – 10.

With 15 to go until full-time, Leigh were awarded a penalty for a high tackle, which gave them the position to post more points. Jimmy Muir fired a pass to Sean MacDonald who broke through the Warriors defensive line to score.

MacDonald made it two tries for the afternoon and made sure of the win for the away side six minutes from time. A break from the Rangers set up the position for MacDonald to use his strength to get the ball down.

And Three minutes before the full-time whistle, Shaun Dowie’s break was backed up by Matthew Meaden for a converted try under the posts.

Northumbria vs Leeds Beckett - preview

Wednesday will see first and second in the Premier North division lock horns as Northumbria University host Leeds Beckett University.

Both sides have started the season on fire, four wins from four apiece. But, Northumbria currently occupy top spot due to a better points difference.

Leeds Beckett, who are the current champions, didn’t drop a single point last season, winning all 10 games. Coach Paul Fletcher knows his side can’t get carried away.

“It’s a very important game, but it’s still early doors. They’re probably the favourites going into this game due to them being top of the league because of their points difference.

“It’s always a tough game against them, and I'm sure it will be a great contest.”

Northumbria, who have racked up a points difference of 130, came up short last year, finishing in second place behind Wednesday’s opponents. Jason Payne, the Northumbria coach, admits that Leeds will be a difficult side to overcome.

“I've been trying for three years to try get the better of them.” He said. “We have to win the forward battle, as they've got some very good players in their pack. They also have some good halfbacks and they’re a well organised team.”

Payne has been impressed with the way his side have started the campaign, more so with the defence.

“Our biggest positive has been the number of points we’ve conceded. We’ve restricted teams in scoring, and when we do concede, we work really hard to make sure it’s the only time they do cross our line.

"It’s something we've worked really hard on and defence is going to be crucial going into this game.”

Leeds Beckett came out on top in the last encounter, winning 36 – 6 back in February this year. Despite the game being arguably the most crucial one of the season, Fletcher is relishing the task.

“We’ve got to play to our full potential in order to come away with the three points, but we are looking forward to the game.

“Starting well will put us on the front foot, and we want to maintain our unbeaten record just like they will.”

Whoever is triumphant on Wednesday afternoon will have a valuable three point lead over their league rivals. A victory that could have a bearing on who will be crowned champions of the Premier North. 

Halifax vs Dewsbury (play-offs) - match report

Halifax’s season has come to an end after crashing out of the play-offs to Dewsbury Rams in a 25 – 0 defeat at the Shay.

Former Fax man, Anthony Thackeray, scored two tries, one in each half, along with four pointers from Sam Wood and Tommy Gallagher in the second 40.

Kieran Hyde kicked a penalty goal and a drop goal in the opening stanza to make it 9 – 0 at the interval.

Joe Martin made his Halifax debut at full-back, replacing top try scorer Ryan Fieldhouse.

Fax almost got the opening points of the afternoon after 11 minutes. Steve Tyrer, returning from injury, forced a knock on in Dewsbury’s in-goal area. The centre’s pass around the back five tackles later was dropped by his winger Tommy Saxton.

However, the visitors took the lead three minutes later. Tom Hemingway’s kick cannoned off the back of a Fax man, he re-gathered and sent Thackeray away.

Glenn Morrison’s side pushed themselves 8 – 0 up before the half hour mark, as Hyde kicked a penalty goal from 40 metres out.

Halifax applied plenty of pressure on their visitors, enough for them to concede back-to-back goal-line drop outs, and give away two penalties. However, Fax failed to get on the board.

The home side continued to search for some points when Paul Mennell dabbed a kick through, Dewsbury diffused the situation and were forced into another drop out.

Hyde then nudged the Rams nine points ahead two minutes before the break when he slotted over a drop goal. A reward for Dewsbury soaking up plenty of pressure.

The Rams began the second half with more points, as Thackeray’s kick to the corner was collected by Wood off the deck. Hyde missed the conversion.

The lead was stretched to 19 points before the hour mark, as Hemingway went close to scoring from dummy half, only for Hyde to kick in behind the defence in the next tackle for Gallagher to touch down unopposed.

Frustration was creeping in as Halifax were penalised back-to-back to hand Dewsbury possession inside their own half. Hyde opted for another shot at goal, only to see his kick drift wide.

Victory was assured seven minutes from the full-time hooter. Hemingway once again being the architect, drifting a kick towards open space and Thackeray collected one-handed and spun out of the tackle to plant the ball down and to send Dewsbury 80 minutes from the Grand Final.

Hull Dockers vs Hunslet Warriors - match report

Hull Dockers gave themselves a fighting chance of survival after defeating fellow strugglers Hunslet Warriors 24 – 16.

The game was what many would describe as ‘a game of two halves’. The Dockers chalked up all their points in the first half, the Warriors crossed once in the first 40 and kept the hosts scoreless after the interval scoring two tries.

The green and whites, who were without a win since the 12^th July, scored after seven minutes when Rich Dougal dived over underneath the uprights.

Chris Stephenson landed a 40/20 a few minutes later, and his side posted more points when Stephenson’s grubber wasn’t dealt with by the Warriors and Andy Taylor touched down.

The Hull side were finding themselves in Warriors territory frequently in the first half, and they stretched their lead to 22 – 0 when Paul Fletcher spun his way over, and Stephenson stepped his way to the line.

The south Leeds outfit brought the Dockers charge to halt when they got themselves on the scoreboard on the half hour mark. Luke Pennington managed to get the ball down amongst a crowd of defenders. Gary McClelland added the extras.

A killer blow just before the half-time whistle was dealt when Stephenson fired over a penalty goal with the Warriors judged to have stolen the ball.

The attempted comeback from Hunslet began two minutes into the second stanza. Karl Featherstone’s high kick was snapped up by Josh Murphy, who found the kicker, who in-turn found Daryl Gaunt. The ball squirmed out from the half-back’s grasp whilst he was trying to touch down, however, his team-mate, Johnny Dawson planted the ball down.

The visitors were buoyed by their early second half try, and almost grabbed another score. But, Jim Baker was held up on a last tackle play. They did eventually increase their try tally when Baker sent Lee West over in the corner, McClelland’s missed touchline conversion made it an eight point ball game.

Both sides had their fair share of chances inside the remaining 20 minutes, but the Dockers’ first half blitz proved to be sufficient.   

Doncaster vs Halifax - match report

Halifax slumped to fourth on the league table after succumbing to a 39 – 18 defeat to Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium.

With Featherstone losing to Sheffield Eagles, Fax had the opportunity to reclaim second with a win over the south Yorkshire side.

However, braces from player/coach Paul Cooke (who also landed a first half drop goal), Steve Snitch, Dave Scott, along with a try from Mike Emmett was enough to make it two defeats in a row for the visitors.

Doncaster’s first set with the ball resulted in points, when Cooke’s towering kick wasn’t dealt with by the Fax defence, and Emmett snapped up the loose ball to score.

It looked as though the contest would be tight as expected when Halifax drew level when Andy Bracek stormed his way over.

The hosts then opened up a 14 point gap inside the remaining 25 minutes of the opening 40. Cooke unlocked the Fax defence to get over, and the player/coach slotted over a drop goal with two minutes to go to the interval.

Just on the hooter, Liam Cunningham broke down the left, and hacked the ball back on the inside for a number of Doncaster players queuing up to score. Scott was the lucky recipient to touch down.

The home side had troubled Fax’s right side a few times in the first half, and it was no surprise to see them go down that side again in the second 40 on their quest for more points. Cooke dummied his way over, Stewart Sanderson missed his first conversion of the afternoon.

Despite being under pressure, Karl Harrison’s men got themselves back within five points of their opponents with back-to-back tries. Luke Adamson used his strength to score, and Paul Mennell scampered over from close range. Simon Brown converted both tries in place of Steve Tyrer, who left the field late on in the first half.

That proved to be the end of Halifax’s scoring for the afternoon, as three scores in the final ten minutes ensured the three points for Cooke’s men. The former Hull FC man assisted all three tries, firstly, he sent Scott over to seal his double.

Cooke’s inside ball found the boot of Snitch who picked up and scored ahead of a Fax defender, and his try tally doubled when he collected a short pass from his coach.

Halifax vs Featherstone Rovers - match report

Featherstone Rovers reclaimed second spot on the Kingstone Press Championship league ladder after a 20 – 4 triumph over Halifax.

In what was labelled the ‘£250k game’, the Rovers ran riot in the opening 20 minutes, where Jason Crookes grabbed a hat-trick.

Andy Hay’s side would not score a single point for the remainder of the game. However, Ben Johnston’s try on 57 minutes wasn’t the catalyst Fax needed for a spirited comeback.

Two minutes had gone on the clock when Crookes grabbed his first four pointer, after finishing a sweeping move in the right corner.

Crookes would again get his name on the score sheet ten minutes later, Andy Kain’s cross-field kick was flicked on by Ian Hardman and Crookes audaciously planted the ball down. 

Kain was proving to be a handful for Fax during the 20 minute onslaught from their West Yorkshire rivals. And he provided more misery for Karl Harrison’s men when he sent Sean Pick in.

The former Bradford and Hull FC winger sealed his first half hat-trick on 21 minutes, when once again, Rovers went down the right. Hardman put his winger over, Gareth Moore landed the touchline conversion.

Fax nearly gave themselves a lifeline close to the break when they finally found themselves in Rovers’ half. But, Ryan Fieldhouse’s long pass to Tommy Saxton found touch.

Halifax had the upper hand in the second half, as Rovers seemed to cool off slightly. But, just when it looked as though the three points would be made for certain. Fieldhouse intercepted an Andy Bostock pass to get into Featherstone territory. From the next play, Saxton offloaded to Ben Johnston to cross. Steve Tyrer failed to add the extras.

Karl Harrison’s men failed to get over the whitewash again despite applying some pressure on their opponents by forcing a few goal-line dropouts.

However, the rampaging Rovers in the opening quarter of the game proved to be sufficient for Featherstone to regain second place, and to end Fax’s unbeaten run of nine games.

Castleford Lock Lane vs Hunslet Warriors - match report

Hunslet Warriors gave themselves a much-needed lifeline for Conference Premier Division survival after defeating title hopefuls Castleford Lock Lane 16 – 12.

Tries from Man of the Match, Johnny Dawson and Daryl Gaunt along with two penalty goals from Gary McClelland provided the victory over their West Yorkshire rivals.

McClelland nearly got the Warriors up and running inside the first five minutes. However, his shot at goal from 40 out wasn’t successful.

Instead, it was Lock Lane who grabbed the opening score of the afternoon. Paul Brown sidestepped his way over beneath the uprights. Danny Rowse added the extras.

The heavens were well and truly open for the majority of the first 40, and Dawson used the conditions to slide over to make it six apiece.

Lock Lane were close to regaining the lead when a break down the right side left the hosts inches shy of the Warriors line. The league’s top try scorer, Adam Garlick, found himself held up when trying to poach one himself on a last tackle play.

But, the Warriors lost possession of the ball on the following 20 metre restart, to give Lock Lane another attacking set. They made best use of the position, as Danny Holmes crossed down the left.

The Warriors, who are currently second bottom, kept their opponents scoreless in the second half, and drew back level again as Daryl Gaunt used his strength to power over.

The pressure was beginning to mount on Lock Lane throughout the second 40, and Hunslet went ahead for the first time when they were awarded a penalty for interference. McClelland slotted over the shot from 20 metres out.

Garlick, with 23 tries to his name. Tried everything to increase his tally, and to nudge his side back in front going into the final ten minutes. After shrugging off attempted tacklers, the ball squirmed from his grasp at the vital moment.

The hosts became their own worst enemy, as a kick from a 20 metre tap went sailing over the touchline out on the full. The Warriors seized upon Lock Lane’s error to push themselves four points ahead when McClelland added his second penalty of the game.

There was a late scare for Hunslet in the final minute of play when Garlick surged to the line in the hunt for a potential match-winning try. But, the Warriors defence prevented him getting the ball down to claim two vital points.

Challenge Cup Final 2014 - match report

Kevin Sinfield lifts the Challenge Cup trophy 

The Leeds Rhinos ended 15 years of Challenge Cup heartache after defeating West Yorkshire rivals Castleford Tigers 23 – 10 at Wembley.

Brian McDermott’s men, who have lost six Challenge Cup Finals over the last decade, finally got their hands on the elusive cup to complete the jigsaw for the ‘golden era’ of Rhinos.

Lance Todd Trophy Winner, Ryan Hall, scored a try in either half to claim the Man of the Match award, whilst Danny McGuire slotted over a drop goal with four minutes to go to make certain of the victory.

Tom Briscoe, who picked up a losers’ medal last year with Hull FC, opened the scoring after four minutes. The Tigers hit back when Daryl Clark went over.

McGuire, who was two votes behind Hall in the Lance Todd Trophy voting, went over on 18 minutes, and Hall grabbed his first try seven minutes later.

Daryl Powell’s side got the best possible start to the second 40 when Oliver Holmes romped away. But, Hall’s second and McGuire’s one-pointer proved to be sufficient for a first Challenge Cup triumph since 1999.

An Andy Lynch knock on gifted the Rhinos possession in Tigers territory, and a sweeping move to the right was finished off by Briscoe. Kevin Sinfield’s touchline conversion made it 6 – 0.

Castleford, who were aiming for a first Challenge Cup win since 1986, struck back when Clark collected Marc Sneyd’s grubber ahead of Zak Hardaker. Sneyd’s missed conversion left Castleford trailing by two.

The Rhinos looked in control despite the Tigers hitting back, and they found more points as Rob Burrow hoisted a kick up towards Luke Dorn in the sun, and McGuire picked the pockets of the Australian.

The Blue and Ambers were on top, and Hardaker powered through the Tigers defence to set up the position for the next Rhinos try. Hall drove back his opposite number Kirk Dixon to slam the ball down.

Being 16 – 4 down going into the second half, the Tigers had to be the first to score. It took only five minutes for them to find their response, Michael Shenton released Holmes who went over for a converted try, reducing the deficit to six points.

Sinfield tamed the Tigers by dribbling the ball into touch on a few occasions to keep their opponents penned inside their own half. The patience was rewarded when Hall doubled his try tally for the afternoon, proving to be unstoppable once again, beating off attention from three attempted tacklers to crash over.

Sinfield’s extras pinned off both posts to roll over the crossbar, to stretch the lead to 12 points. The win was sealed when McGuire, who cracked three ribs previously, fired over a drop goal to cram a Challenge Cup into their overflowing trophy cabinet.

Hunslet Warriors vs East Leeds - match report

Gary McClelland shrugging off an East Leeds defender

Hunslet Warriors earned the city’s bragging rights after defeating East Leeds 24 – 16 at The Oval.

Victory for the south Leeds side brought their five match winless streak to a halt, and claimed their third home win of the season.

The hosts were 16 – 10 down at the break, but, second half tries from Caldon Bravo and Gary McClelland, who slotted over a penalty goal with six minutes to play, kept East Leeds scoreless in the second 40 and ensured the two points.

However, the visitors opened up the scoring inside the first ten minutes when Declan Tomlinson used his strength to slam the ball down in the right corner.

East Leeds had the majority of the possession in the first half, and converted the possession with more points. Nathan Conroy attacked the line, and managed to offload the ball to David Nurse who went over beneath the uprights.

Midway through the first 40, the Warriors got themselves on the board when Luke Day crashed over, with McClelland’s extras making it 10 – 6.

The scores were tied up swiftly after, as Hunslet applied pressure on their opponents to force a mistake. East Leeds offloaded the ball into the hands of the waiting Warriors defence, the ball was fed to Dave Norton who surged to the line.

Just before the referee’s whistle to bring up the interval, Joey Walkin barged his way over from close range.

East Leeds continued their search for more points in the opening exchanges of the second half, but failed to add to their try tally.

But, after soaking up plenty of pressure, the Warriors brought the game back level again. A break down the right was backed up well by McClelland who sent Bravo romping away unopposed.

McClelland’s assist was rewarded on the hour mark. Jim Baker’s inside ball to the full-back, got him one on one with his opposite number, and McClelland stepped away from Tom Sheldrake to cross for his ninth try of the campaign.

Skipper, Bravo, who proved to be unstoppable for his try, nearly sealed a win for his side. However, his break and pass resulted in the Warriors turning over possession.

The Warriors waited patiently for another opportunity to secure the much-needed two points, and six minutes from time, they got it.

East Leeds were caught offside, and the Warriors coaching staff took no hesitation in opting to take the two. McClelland capped off a terrific performance by converting the penalty goal to clinch the points.  

Halifax vs North Wales Crusaders - match report

Halifax leapfrogged Featherstone Rovers to climb into second spot after narrowly defeating North Wales Crusaders 20 – 17.

Gareth Potts scored the match winning try five minutes from time to continue Fax’s impressive unbeaten record, and to heat up the race even more for second place. Potts also pulled off a try saving tackle towards the end of the first half.

The visitors went into the dressing rooms 16 – 6 down, Steve Tyrer grabbing the try to keep his side within ten points.

Callum Casey, Luke Ambler, and Potts crossed in the second half which was enough to snare the two points from the Welsh outfit.

Fax lost winger, Tommy Saxton for ten minutes, after he took out a Crusaders man off the ball.

It was the hosts who got the scoreboard rolling inside the first minute, Halifax’s kick off landing out of play, which gifted North Wales some good field position. Greg Wilde crossed down the right side.

The Crusaders continued to make Fax work hard defensively, and had plenty of ball inside the opening ten minutes. Christian Roets used his strength to get the ball down, Tommy Johnson with the conversion.

Fax managed to deny the Crusaders from increasing their try tally, and went on to reduce the deficit to four points when Tyrer snaked his arm out to plant the ball down.

The hosts managed to find themselves in good territory again from another Fax error. Former Halifax player, Karl Ashall, burrowed over from close range to make it 16 – 6.

The Crusaders could have easily landed a killer blow just before the interval had it not been for a superb tackle from Potts in the left corner.

The opening 15 minutes of the second 40 saw unforced errors from both sides, and on 55 minutes, Fax got themselves, again, six points behind when Callum Casey touched down.

With an hour gone on the clock, the scores were tied up, Ben Johnston skirted across the pitch to send free-scoring Luke Ambler in under the posts. Tyrer added the extras from in-front.

Just when it looked like Karl Harrison’s side were getting a stranglehold of the game, Tommy Saxton was sin binned for taking a man out off the ball. Johnson elected to go for the two, but failed to land the kick between the posts.

Crusaders half-back, Jamie Dallimore, showed Johnson how to convert a kicking opportunity, when his drop goal sailed over to give the home side a slender one point lead.

However, Daillmore’s one pointer wasn’t to be the match winner. The Crusaders spilled the ball, Casey using the advantage of the free play rule by dribbling a kick through, and Potts pounced on the ball to seal the points and to set up a thriller at The Shay next weekend.   

Halifax vs Dewsbury - match report

Halifax made it eight games undefeated and hotted up the race for second spot after defeating Dewsbury Rams 36 – 24 at The Shay.

Karl Harrison’s men scored three tries in either half to mount more pressure on Featherstone Rovers in second place.

Steve Tyrer converted all six of Fax’s tries, the second week running he’s achieved 100% accuracy with the boot.

Ryan Fieldhouse, who missed the last two weeks through injury, returned to the side, and notched up his 14^th try of the campaign in the second half.

The visitors, who had won their last two games, dominated the early proceedings and opened the scoring after five minutes. Former Fax man, Anthony Thackeray sent Shane Grady over. Tom Hemingway added the extras.

The hosts did well to soak the pressure up, and made best use of some possession. The Rams were penalised for offside on their own line, and Luke Ambler took a quick tap to barge over for his 10^th try of the season.

Ten minutes before the half-time hooter, they doubled their lead. Ben Johnston used some fancy footwork to go over beneath the uprights.

The Blue and Whites opened up a bit of breathing space when Ross Divorty side stepped his way over six minutes later.

Just like last week, Fax grabbed a try inside a minute of play in the second 40. Adam Robinson’s break laid the platform for Danny Cowling to get over in the right corner.

Glen Morrison’s side went back-to-back to get within six points of their opponents. Tommy Gallagher crashed over from close range, and Grady sealed his brace when Thackeray put him through a gap. With Hemingway off the field, Kieran Hyde took over the kicking duties, and slotted over both conversions.

Fax invited the Rams into their half for their last two tries, and when they were inside the visitor’s half, they made best use of the position. Fieldhouse pounced on Scott Murrell’s banana kick to add to his impressive try tally for the season.

The home side continued to apply some pressure, and forced Dewsbury into conceded two goal-line drop outs. The pressure eventually told, Fieldhouse’s cut-out pass to Gareth Potts sent the winger sliding over.

Despite bundling Dale Morton into touch with 12 minutes left, Fax couldn’t deny Ryan Wright a consolation score, as he charged down Johnston’s kick to race away.  

Swinton Lions vs Halifax - match report

Halifax continue to apply the pressure on Featherstone Rovers in second spot after a try-fest against the Swinton Lions.

The visitors came out on top in a 48 – 30 victory over relegation wary Swinton Lions which extended their unbeaten run to seven matches.

Steve Tyrer had a perfect afternoon with the boot, converting all eight of Fax’s tries. In-form half-back, Ben Johnston grabbed himself a brace with tries either side of half-time.

The hosts succumbed to a 24 – 12 deficit at the break, and Fax’s three tries in the second 40 secured the three points. However, three scores from the Lions made the score line more respectable come the full-time hooter.

Fax began the game brightly, and chalked up the opening try of the afternoon within a minute of play. Fax made the most of some sloppy play from the Lions and Paul Mennell scooted over from dummy half.

Four minutes later, Swinton responded. Ed Barber stepped his way to the try-line and Mick Nanyn’s conversion made it six all.

However, the lead was restored when the visitors went back-to-back. Tommy Saxton beat Kevin Penny to the line to cross, and Gareth Potts sprinted 80 metres to make it 18 – 6.

Karl Harrison’s men may have thought they had tamed the Lions, but, they hit back. Brad Dwyer, on dual registration from Warrington, dummied and ducked under the defence to plant the ball down. Nanyn’s extra two got Swinton within six points.

Ben Johnston’s try, five minutes from the interval, gave Fax the breathing space they needed. His double was complete just 30 seconds into the second half, when he intercepted a pass to race away unopposed.

Skipper, Scott Murrell, drew some inspiration from his half-back partner to get a try for himself. Murrell bursted his way through a gaping hole in the Swinton defence to cross.

With half an hour to play and 24 points behind, the Lions narrowed the gap on their high flying visitors. Penny’s centre, Nanyn, flicked the ball out to the speedster who dived over in the corner.

Fax, who racked up their highest score of the season last week against Whitehaven, weren’t quite finished. Johnston sent Luke Adamson over, and try scoring machine back rower, Ross Divorty backed up a break from Adamson.

Swinton went back-to-back themselves inside the final 11 minutes. Luke Menzies palmed off the Fax defenders to touch down, and Menzies was on hand again. This time, putting fellow prop forward Mike Morrison over with five minutes to play. 

Wigan St Judes vs Hunslet Warriors - match report

Wigan St Judes ended their ten match losing streak that dates back to March after defeating fellow strugglers Hunslet Warriors 32 – 12.

The Maroon and Gold’s last win came back in March at home to the league’s high flyers, West Hull.

Despite the score line favouring the hosts come the full-time whistle, it was all square at the interval after two converted tries apiece locked it all up going into the second 40.

However, the visitors were kept scoreless in the second half conceding four tries including a brace from centre Darian Ball. Connor Ratcliffe kicked four conversions from his side’s six tries. 

The Lancashire outfit began the opening quarter of the game the brighter with two tries inside the opening twenty minutes.

Five minutes had gone on the clock when Nathan Jones danced his way to the line, and just under 15 minutes later, Glen Hunt shrugged off attempted tacklers to score.

The Warriors, who were without a win in their last four games, were under the pump, but they turned some pressure into points. Luke Day gobbled up a kick and released Elliot Miller down the left, whose run was backed up by Jake Corney to dab the ball down under the posts.

The introduction of Daryl Gaunt from the bench provided speed around the ruck, something their opponents were gaining throughout the game. Dave Norton used his strength to power his way over with McClelland’s conversion making it all square going into the second half.

St Judes’ response was swift, one minute after the restart to be precise, and they made the Warriors suffer after they failed to complete their opening set. Dave Carney’s pass put Brett Taberner through a gap, and he snaked his arm out to restore his side’s lead by four points as Connor Ratcliffe missed the conversion.

The dry weather conditions enabled the backs to showcase their athleticism. Shae Frazer-Lyon plucked a kick out of the air to feed Dave Walls.

Gaunt continued to be a threat from dummy half, and thought he’d got his side back in it, only for the referee to judge he had been held up just before the hour mark.

From that, St Judes wrapped the game up with Darian Ball’s double in the space of ten minutes. He finished off a move that saw the ball kept alive well down the left side. And then sealed his brace seven minutes from time. Taberner intercepted a pass to go 40 metres down field, only to be halted by the Warriors’ scrambling defence. But, St Judes didn’t panic, Ball proved to be too strong to be stopped by the Warriors.

Halifax vs Whitehaven - match report

A Scott Murrell master class inspired Halifax to blitz play off hopefuls Whitehaven 52 – 12 at the Shay.

Murrell played a key role in assisting five of Fax’s nine tries, including a brace for Luke Ambler, and the skipper went over for a four pointer himself in the second half.

Steve Tyrer, who signed a new three-year contract in the week, kicked eight goals and grabbed himself a first half brace.

The game looked more or less dead and buried at the break, with the home side 34 – 0 up. However, two tries in the final ten minutes for Whitehaven provided nothing more than mere consolation for the Cumbrian outfit.

Fax started the game brightly, and had a few chances inside the opening ten minutes. But, knock ons at the crucial moments, resulted in the hosts coming away with nothing.

They did find the breakthrough swiftly after, Ben Johnston’s break and offload was finished off by Tommy Saxton down the left side.

Murrell drew inspiration from his half-back partner’s assist to double Fax’s lead. His short pass put Ross Divorty through a hole, and Luke Ambler was in support to go in under the posts.

After feeding a team-mate for a score, Divorty would get himself on the score sheet. Murrell attacked the line, and had the ball reefed out of his grasp to leave Divorty to pick up and dab the ball down.

Fax were playing some enterprising football in the opening 40, but, they looked to the skies for their next try. The Skipper’s kick to the corner was plucked out of the air by Steve Tyrer, to round off a perfect week for the centre.

Murrell and Tyrer were involved again, except it was a different name grabbing a try.  Murrell’s cut-out pass to Tyrer ended up in the hands of Saxton, who hacked the ball back on the inside for Luke Adamson to swivel and score.

The Murrell-Tyrer combination was proving to be successful, the stand-off trickled a kick in towards the in-goal area, and Tyrer swooped on the ball to seal his brace. However, he failed to add the extras, the only time in the afternoon he wouldn’t raise the touch judges’ flags.

The onslaught continued three minutes into the second half, Danny Cowling capitalised on an error from Whitehaven half-back, Cain Southernwood to dash 50 metres to score.

Southernwood nearly atoned for his previous mistake to try and deny Fax nilling their opponents. He chipped and chased for himself, and kicked on again for Shaun Ainscough. Only for the ball to roll into touch.

After being the architect in the first forty minutes, Murrell would start and finish a move. His inside ball released Ambler and the big prop forward supplied Murrell with a well-deserved try.

Like Divorty in the first half, Ambler went from provider, to scorer. His powerful drive towards the Haven posts proved to be too strong for the defence, as he spun away from the attempted tacklers to slam the ball over the line, and to bring up the 50-mark for the first time this season for Fax.

The influential Murrell departed proceedings in the final ten minutes, and the home side’s discipline began to drop as they gave away a few penalties to invite Whitehaven into Fax’s half.

Chris Taylor made best use of the gifted field position to take a slight bit of gloss off the Halifax drubbing. Firstly, Taylor dabbed the ball through for himself to re-gather and score. And Taylor would get Haven’s second try a minute from full-time. Former Hull FC man, Brett Seymour, flicked the ball to the short right side to Neil Thorman who fed Taylor to score the Cumbrian’s second converted try. 

West Hull vs Hunslet Warriors - match report

West Hull extended their impressive unbeaten league run to seven matches to keep the pressure on table toppers Siddal after running riot against basement battlers Hunslet Warriors.

The home side ran in nine tries and were 24 – 0 up at the break, exhibiting their dominance and restricting the Warriors from attacking.

Braces from half-back, Ian Kerman and interchange pivot, Carl Puckering added to the misery for the depleted Warriors.

The travellers, who were without numerous key men, including captain Caldon Bravo, provided a brighter second half display, grabbing two tries both converted by stand-in skipper, Gary McClelland, who moved into the halves to pave the way for 17-year-old Louis Sharpe to make his first team debut.

The only disappointment for the hosts during the afternoon was when full-back Matt Plummer was sent to the sin bin at the back-end of the second forty after repeated infringements.

The Warriors were their own worst enemy for the first three tries conceded. Jake Corney failed to diffuse a high bomb, gifting the green and golds another set. Callum Windley burrowed over from dummy half for the first try.

On the other wing, Lee West fumbled a grubber kick which was pounced on by Josh Hart to get over in the corner.

The Warriors’ backs weren’t getting to grips with the greasy conditions. 17-year-old, Louis Sharpe knocked on at the play ball to give West Hull possession. From that, Matt Plummer sliced his way through for a third converted try.

The ability for the hosts to play the ball quicker than their opponents was paying dividends for them. Ryan Steen ran onto a short ball to burst his way through to set up Scott Howlett 11 minutes from the break.

It took just one minute inside the second half for West Hull to dish out further punishment for Hunslet. Carl Puckering stepped his way over. Steve Partis took over the kicking duties whilst Kerman wasn’t on the field and added the extras for the number 14’s effort.

With just under half an hour to play, Paul Shaw crashed over from close range to bring up the forty mark.

After West Hull had capitalised on Hunslet errors, the Warriors made amends and punished West Hull themselves. Dave Norton swooped on a loose ball and made the 30 metre dash to the line.

Despite that, the home side got back into the scoring mood when Puckering’s kick bounced around like a cork in the ocean and was gathered in by himself to slide over.

With the game lost going into the last ten minutes, the Warriors managed to get two piggybacks up the field from two penalties. A further penalty was awarded inside West Hull’s ten, and Plummer was shown a yellow card for a third consecutive breach.

Hunslet made best use of the man advantage, centre Matty Fox danced his way to the West Hull try-line with McClelland’s conversion making it 46 – 12.

The scoring was rounded off a minute from full-time when Windley went down the short left side to send Georg Lawler in for a converted try. 

England students vs GB teachers - Match report

England Students and the Great Britain Teachers shared the spoils in a 20 – 20 draw at Widnes on Saturday afternoon.

The teachers went into the changing rooms 16 – 6 up, however, three second half tries from the students was enough to salvage a draw.

The result could have seen a winner, but numerous missed conversions from both sides ended this intriguing contest in a draw.

Despite the teachers being in front at halftime, the students opened the scoring after ten minutes when Jess Courtman crashed over from close range.

The teachers’ response was quick, three minutes after conceding, in fact. Katie Dean barged her way over for a converted try to level things up.

Stacey White drew some inspiration from her team-mate to put the teachers ahead, she used her strength to power over.

Two minutes before the break, the signs were pointing towards a teachers triumph when Laura Stanworth went in. The first missed conversion of the afternoon would prove to be costly later on.

The students couldn’t have asked for a better start to the second forty, Emma McCartney backed up Ash Prescott’s break from insider her own half.

Despite the promising start from the students, a knock on from the students inside their own half was punished when Stacey White sprinted away from the scrum.

The students scored themselves from a scrum too to make it a four point ballgame going into the final 20 minutes. Heidi Parker crossed with ease from a short-side play straight from the scrum. Courtman’s successful conversion got the students within a converted try from victory.

Five minutes from the final whistle, the students got the try they so desperately wanted. Jen Pendlesbury received a short pass to barge over the line to tie the match. The students failed to add the extras, with a draw crediting both sides for an entertaining contest.  

GB Students vs GB Teachers - Match report

Great Britain Students romped away to victory in the RFL Associations Cup at Widnes on Saturday in a 52 – 2 demolition over the Great Britain Teachers.

The students scored ten tries without reply from the teachers, with Chris Atkin converting six of them including one of his two tries.

Blake Mahovic grabbed a double too, and there were scores from Jack Howdle, Mark Webb, Josh Dixon, Lewis Weaver, Dan Parker and Anthony Squires.

The teachers did take the lead after the 12^th minute through a penalty goal from Josh Milnes, but, that would be the only occasion the teachers got on the scoreboard.

Seven minutes after, the students grabbed themselves two tries in the space of a few minutes. Jack Howdle burst through a big gap and Mark Webb raced away down the left to score.

The students were on a roll and didn’t look as though they’d be stopped before the half-time hooter. Atkin received an offload from Chris Barrett to touch down, and Josh Dixon went over from dummy half to extend their lead to 22 – 2.

Huge breathing space between the students and teachers was established six minutes from half-time. Blake Mahovic grabbed the first of his brace by sprinting away with ease.

The onslaught continued swiftly after the break when Lewis Weaver touched down, and some individual brilliance from Atkin soon followed. A terrific dummy unlocked the teachers’ defence and allowed him to get away unopposed.

The teachers weren’t going to go down without a fight, however, expansive play was punished when Anthony Squires intercepted a floating pass.

Students forward, Dan Parker, showed his strength to bump off attempted tacklers to power his way over the line.

Chris Atkin continued to show his importance for his side, his forty twenty set up the position for the influential half-back to send over Blake Mahovic for his second of the game five minutes from time.

GB Lionesses vs Armed Forces - Match report

The Great Britain Lionesses grabbed a resounding 40 – 4 win over the Armed Forces at the Select Security Stadium in Widnes.

Two tries from the Lionesses in the space of four minutes was cancelled out by the Armed Forces’ solitary score at the twenty minute mark.

However, seven tries from the victors was enough to ensure a comprehensive victory in the Associations Cup.

The centre-wing combination of Kayleigh Bucman and Jodie Cunningham got the Lionesses the first two scores of the day. Cunningham squeezed her way over and Bucman went over in the corner unchallenged. Both conversions were missed.

Poor defending from the GB Lionesses resulted in the Armed Forces’ only try. Caz Roberts received a pass from a team-mate who collected an easy kick due to no numbers on the Lionesses’ left side to get over.

The Lionesses found some space of their own in attack to respond, Katie May Williams strolled over for an easy try.

Dawn Taylor collected a short pass from Jenny Welsby to go underneath the posts, the conversion was missed, as had the rest of the goals in the first half.

Jodie Cunningham restarted the scoring in the second forty for the Lionesses with a piece of individual brilliance. A scoot from inside her own half, was finished in the right corner.

Bucman followed her centre in getting her brace, a three on one overlap made it an easy touch down for the winger.

The Armed Forces showed signs of fatigue going into the final 20 minutes, Rihanna Marshall’s barnstorming run resulted in another four pointer, and the first time the touch judges raised their flags.

Charlotte Booth found a gap in the Armed Forces’ line to sprint to the posts and away from the defence, and Lois Forsell finished the scoring when she slammed the ball down from close range. 

Thatto Heath vs Hunslet Warriors - match report

Thatto Heath stretched their unbeaten run to six games with a 32 – 16 victory over the Hunslet Warriors at Crusader Park.

The home side went 14 – 6 up at the break despite the Warriors holding the lead for 20 minutes with a converted try from James Baker.

Both teams lost a man each in the second half for ten minutes for fighting, the Crusaders made best use of the sin bins by scoring two crucial tries in five minutes.

The Warriors will have felt unlucky to have a try disallowed in the second half for crossing. However, Lee West got over with 14 to go, only for his try to be cancelled out by Andrew Stott to seal the points for the hosts.

It took only four minutes for the home side to get the scoreboard ticking over, Chris Frodsham dummied his way through and dived over to touch down.

The travelling side hit the front for the only time in the game when Daryl Gaunt’s forty twenty laid the platform for Baker to scoot from dummy half to score. Gary McClelland added the extras.

Two tries just before halftime for Thatto Heath got them back on top. Adam Walsh broke the line and sprinted away to restore their lead, and Sean Leicester also found a gap in the Warriors’ line to cross.

Caldon Bravo gave his side the perfect start to the second forty when he crashed over after a barnstorming run to the line. McClelland’s conversion got Hunslet within two points of Thatto.

With Matty Fox and Luke Bradshaw in the sin bin, Dave Pike slid over, and Louis Taylor squeezed in at the corner to open up a 14 point gap for the Crusaders in the space of three minutes.

Skipper, Bravo, thought he got his second of the game, only to be denied by the referee’s whistle for crossing.

With 14 minutes left and the Warriors 14 points behind on the scoreboard, they made good use of some decent field position when Lloyd Templeton’s offload was gobbled up by his winger Lee West to get over in the corner.

The home side had been creating gaps in the Hunslet defensive line throughout the afternoon, and, they found another four minutes from time. Andrew Stott dummied to cut the Warriors open, and he stepped away from the attempted tacklers to put the ball down and increase his side’s impressive winning streak to six games.

It's over - New South Wales end their horrendous eight year hoodoo

They did it! They finally did it. New South Wales defeated Queensland 6 - 4 to stop the rot, and claim their first series win since 2005.

The Blues celebrate their hard earned victory 

It wasn't the prettiest win for the Blues on Wednesday, but, it was a win. And when it comes to State of Origin football, it really doesn't matter how you win. The Blues certainly made a good account of themselves in game one, and full-back, Jarryd Hayne, showcased why he is one of the best number ones in Australia with an inspirational display.

They did it tough up in Queensland, and game two was made easier with it being on home turf. Queensland were missing Cooper Cronk, who broke his arm in the first encounter. Sam Thaiday returned to the Maroons' pack, a big bonus for them.

The first half proved to be a bruising affair, both sides flying out of the defensive lines to put pressure on the play makers. Cherry-Evans and Thurston felt the full force of heavy collisions from their opponents. New South Wales' discipline costed them four points on the board in the opening forty, Thurston slotted over two penalty goals to give his side the advantage. Queensland's discipline wasn't much better, penalty on penalty awarded the Blues' way for different offenses throughout the half.

In the second forty, we finally saw some entertaining football played from both sides, instead of the tough stuff we'd seen before the break. Speaking of tough, Brent Tate departed the scene with what looked to be a bad knee injury. Even a brave player like Tate couldn't continue.

With the game hanging in the balance, the Blues began to mount the pressure on the 4X Maroons. They got themselves a few repeat sets, but, the home side didn't look clinical in attack, and looked to be in panic mode to try and snatch a try. But, their luck came through. Trent Hodkinson taking the line on, throwing a dummy, and cutting open the impregnable Queensland defensive line to go over. Hodkinson added the extras from a seemingly easy angle, and nudged the Blues in front by two.

As expected, the Maroons tried everything to save the series. McQueen's hopeful kick down field was collected by Jarryd Hayne, who ran away to the northern end of the ground, punted the ball into the Blatchy's Blues supporters, and Hayne stood on the advertising boards as though he was the Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro.

But, that was it. New South Wales had finally stopped this unbelievably talented rugby league side from creating more history. You could see from the post-match celebrations how much it meant to the Blues. The hug between Laurie Daley and Paul Gallen and the tears from Jarryd Hayne in his interview after the game, goes to show what sport means to people. Some athletes would do anything to win, especially Origin players. Sometimes, anything might not be enough to win. But, the Blues did it, and no matter what happens back up in Brisbane for game three. Paul Gallen can raise the Holden State of Origin trophy high and enjoy the winning feeling once more.

Siddal vs Hunslet Warriors - Match report

Siddal extended their unbeaten winning streak with a convincing 42 – 10 victory over Hunslet Warriors at Reactiv Park.

The home side scored four tries without reply in the first half, and went 24 – 0 up at the interval.

Gareth Blackburn was impressive with the boot for the table toppers as he converted all seven Siddal tries.

The Warriors came back in the second half with back-to-back scores to attempt to salvage something from the game.

However, Siddal showed why they continue to set the benchmark for the competition with three more tries to round off the scoring.

It took less than five minutes for the blue and whites to get the scoreboard rolling. Chris Brooke’s pass put Ross White through a hole.

Siddal’s ability to play the ball quicker than their opponents came up trumps a few minutes later. George Ambler collecting a cut-out pass from dummy half to crash over.

Once again, the league leaders made good use of quick play-the-balls, as Shaun Garrod scooted over for another Siddal try.

With the last play of the half, the home side went down the left to find some space. Blackburn raced away and picked out Scott Caley to get himself on the score sheet.

Gareth Baker’s halftime team talk inspired the Warriors to get the second half start they so desperately needed. Nathan Kitson’s kick deflected off a Siddal man, Kitson scooped up the loose ball and found Johnny Dawson who fed Josh Murphy to touch down. Kitson failed to add the extras.

The advantage of playing downhill in the second half came to fruition again for the Warriors. Murphy’s cut-out pass from dummy half enabled Luke Pennington to grab himself a try.

The revival from the travelling side was to be short lived. Siddal found their feet again in the game, as Daniel Williams came steaming onto a floating pass from his half-back to go over underneath the posts.

Straight from the restart, Siddal were in again. Stephen Hope burst through the Warriors’ defensive line, and sprinted away unchallenged to score.

Ross White rounded off the scoring at a humid Reactiv Park when he went through the tiresome Warriors defence.

Hunslet Warriors vs Hull Dockers - match report

Steve Milne’s last minute try lifted the Hull Dockers off the foot of the table in a 24 – 20 victory over fellow strugglers, Hunslet Warriors.

The Warriors went into the game having snatched a last minute win themselves two weeks ago against Wigan St. Patricks.

The weather played its part making the game riddled with mistakes throughout the entire 80 minutes.

Chris Stephenson, the Dockers half-back, was hugely influential assisting three of his side’s five tries converting two of them.

A second half Lee West double wasn’t enough to make it back-to-back wins for the south Leeds outfit.

Heavy rain in the opening half an hour reduced the skill level for both sides. Nathan Kitson opted to kick for goal from a penalty 40 metres out, but failed to raise the flags.

Four minutes later, the Dockers opened the scoring. Jon Eccles collected Stephenson’s short pass to barge his way over.

The home side hit back three minutes before the break and nudged themselves ahead from a Luke Pennington converted try.

Swiftly after the half-time interval, Stephenson’s cut out pass sent Richard Lamplough over to restore their lead.

Soon after, the Dockers got some breathing space ahead of their Yorkshire rivals. Stephenson’s dab to the in-goal area was touched down by his half-back partner, Andy Kay.

Down by eight, Hunslet got back within touching distance. Daryl Gaunt’s pass to Chris Hartley gave the right side some space. Hartley sent over his winger, Danny Cahill to cross with Kitson adding the extras.

The heavy rain made the ball too greasy to handle. Lee West was punished for dropping the ball when Arron Bradley scooped it up and touched down next to the posts.

However, West atoned for his earlier sin when he grabbed back-to-back tries within the space of ten minutes. Kitson’s kick to the corner wasn’t dealt with by the Hull defence and gave West an easy score.

Supporters may have thought they were seeing double when West went over again. Kitson’s bomb wasn’t diffused by the Dockers and West got his brace. Kitson failed to convert both tries from the sideline.

With the game locked up at 20 a piece going into the final minute, the Dockers made good use of the football, flinging it to the right to break down field. Kay’s kick was gathered by a fellow Hull team-mate and given to Steve Milne to seal victory just before the final whistle. 

Keighley vs Halifax

Halifax go over under the posts

Halifax put last week’s derby loss to Dewsbury behind them by defeating Keighley Cougars 28 – 14 at Cougar Park.

The win for Karl Harrison’s side ended the Cougars’ unbeaten run of five matches in all competitions.

Fax went 12 – 0 up inside the first 15 minutes, until Jode Sheriffe’s try for Keighley sparked an attempted comeback.

Manning’s try just after the break was cancelled out when the Cougars went back-to-back to try and snare victory from their West Yorkshire rivals.

But, two tries in the final 12 minutes was enough to ensure victory and get back to winning ways.

Former Wakefield and Hull KR winger, Peter Fox, made his debut playing outside of centre, Dane Manning.

It took just seven minutes for Ross Divorty to accept a short pass which unlocked the Keighley defence to begin the scoring.

The dose was doubled six minutes later when Divorty’s offload sent Ryan Fieldhouse racing away under the posts.

Back came the Cougars just before the half hour mark, a miscued kick on the last tackle was pounced upon by Jode Sheriffe. Jones’ boot halved Fax’s lead going into the dressing rooms at the break.

Whatever Harrison said at halftime must have had an immediate impact on his side, Tommy Saxton’s break got them within 20 metres of Keighley’s line. The position allowed Manning to touch down. Tyrer missed the conversion, which proved to be the only one missed by the former St Helens man.

Fax’s lead motivated the Cougars to get themselves within two points of their opponents. James Haley collected Jones’ short pass to cross, and James Feather burrowed over from close range. Jones missed both kicks which failed to nudge the home side in front.

It would prove to be costly for Paul March’s men, as Luke Ambler snapped up Scott Murrell’s offload to crash over. Tyrer’s conversion denied the Cougars a bonus point.

The final nail in the coffin came two minutes from time, Paul Mennell’s dummy allowed him to slice his way through to round off the scoring and cement fourth place in the table.

Halifax: 1. Ryan Fieldhouse 26. Peter Fox 11. Dane Manning 3. Steve Tyrer 21. Tommy Saxton 6. Scott Murrell 18. Ben Johnston 8. Tony Tonks 9. Ben Kaye 10. Luke Ambler 12. Andy Bracek 27. Ross Divorty 13. Luke Adamson Interchange: 14. Paul Mennell 17. Ben Davies 23. Callum Casey 28. Jack Spencer

Tries: Luke Ambler (68) Ross Divorty (7), Ryan Fieldhouse (13), Dane Manning (41) Paul Mennell (78)

Conversions: Steve Tyrer 4/5

Keighley: 21. Jesse Sheriffe 2. Richie Barnett 19. Danny Lawton 4. James Haley 5. Paul White 6. Danny Jones 7. Paul Handforth 8. Andy Shickell 9. James Feather 10. Sean Hesketh 11. Josh Lynam 12. Brendon Rawlins 13. Ash Lindsay Interchange: 16. Jode Sheriffe 17. Ben Sager 18. Neil Cherryholme 34. Luke Haigh

Tries:  James Feather (63) James Haley (47) Jode Sheriffe (29)

Conversions: Danny Jones 1/3

State of Origin: we love it, don't we?

State of Origin - mate against mate, right?

They say down under that Origin is the pinnacle of representative rugby league. You can keep your green and gold jumpers, but there's nothing better than wearing the colours of your state. They didn't think it'd work back in 1980 when the concept was formed. But, who's laughing now? 34 years on, and we still pencil it in our diaries for the three big occasions, the three games of a State of Origin series.

Rugby league has been fortunate enough to showcase some of the finest athletes across all levels. But, it's so often the case that we see some of the most gifted players playing some sensational stuff. I could list them all, but, I'd be here all night.

What I love most about State of Origin, is that, it's not just your average 80 minutes of rugby league. It's more than that, it's 34 blokes, giving everything they've got during the course of the game. Some players would hide away in their shell when they feel the lactic acid in their legs build up and they start the heavy breathing. But, Origin players are made of something different. They go to another level, they dig deep, they'll do absolutely anything to ensure that it really is 100% they're providing for their side.

It's famous for its fights, Origin. Every year, we see the old 'biff'. It's perhaps why we mainly love it. We all love watching the punch ups and the raw passion you see when they collide. People will say it's brutal, the game in general is brutal when you see them bringing the ball back and crashing into the opposition at the same force as a car crash. I disagree, somewhere amongst that there's a bit of beauty.

I wasn't alive when Wally Lewis became 'the King of Origin'. But, seeing the footage from those times, you can't argue with his title, and how he's gone on to become one of the immortals of our great game. My era, is today's era. Possibly my all time favourite Origin player has to be the man who looked up to the King, Darren Lockyer, of course. You could say, Lockyer started the dynasty back in 2006, when he pounced on that sloppy pass from Brett Hodgson to clinch the game, and the series for Queensland. Since then, the Maroons haven't lost a series, arguably the great rugby league side in history. But, back to Darren, he was the complete footballer. Kicking, passing, leadership, defensively sound, it's very hard to pick out a flaw from his game. He's probably the reason why his beloved Queensland have risen to the top and stayed there for a record breaking, eight times.

I'm not going to lie, when Origin time comes around, I always hope for the Blues to win. They're the underdogs these days. Players like Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus are the reasons why I route for New South Wales. Growing up, they were incredible to watch. Without them, the Blues perhaps wouldn't have tasted some success during the 2000s. We talk about great athletes, I've been fortunate enough to see Buderus play in the flesh, and he certainly does fit into that bracket of great athletes. Andrew, well, many regard him as the world's best player, ever. It's really no surprise when you saw how good he was technically, one hell of a football brain.

In recent years, we've seen Queensland snatch victory in the final game of the series, Cronk's late field goal in 2012, a late try last year (along with a streaker). Amongst the collisions, we've witnessed drama, it goes back to why we watch it every year. It's not your every day game of rugby league at your local club, it's players putting on a show, showcasing their talents, showcasing their toughness, showing the world that they are some of the best athletes in the sporting world.

So, what of this year's series? NSW going with a new halfback partnership, the old guard returning for Queensland once more along with some kids who will grow that extra layer of Origin football skin. I won't predict what will happen, because, I don't know. It's Origin after all, during that 80 minutes, anything goes, and the extraordinary can happen. Roll on Wednesday.

Wigan St. Patrick's vs Hunslet Warriors - Match report

WARRIORS SNATCH LATE VICTORY

Hunslet Warriors snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the dying seconds to claim a 28-26 victory over Wigan St. Patrick’s.

The south Leeds side came back from 16 – 0 down to score a last second try to snare the two points away from the home side.

St. Patrick’s unanswered lead was tallied up inside the first quarter of the game. However, Hunslet had an equalising score ruled out for crossing.

But, the Warriors came back with a vengeance to spark their comeback with two converted tries, only for the Wigan side to nudge themselves ahead before the break to take the scores to 20 – 12.

Hunslet didn’t lie down and got within two points inside the first ten minutes of the second half, only to be denied again by another St. Pat’s try 20 minutes later.

Two tries in the final few minutes was enough to clinch the match points to make it four matches in a row without a victory for Wigan St. Patrick’s.

In monsoon like conditions, St. Pat’s took the lead after six minutes when Earl Hurst squeezed his way over.

Two tries in the space of three minutes for St. Pat’s inside the twenty minute mark from Ryan Smith and Will Boardman increased their side’s advantage.

Lloyd Templeton pounced on a grubber in the in-goal area to get Hunslet on the board and his team-mate, Gary McClelland, threw a dummy and spun away to crash the ball down to get the Warriors within four points.

The conditions reduced the skill level for both sides, but some individual brilliance and determination from the St. Pat’s halfback, Ryan Smith, got Wigan back up and running just before the interval.  

Warriors skipper, Caldon Bravo who led from the front crashed over from short range after eight minutes gone in the second half to, again, keep St. Pat’s on their toes.

The wet weather made this tense affair a classic ‘knock-on-athon’, and it was no wonder it took until the 70^th minute for Wigan’s reply through Anthony Griffiths’ close range burrow over from dummy half.

With Wigan St. Pat’s leading by eight going into the last five minutes, the game seemed finished. But, the Warriors had other ideas.

Karl Featherstone went over under the posts to make the kick easier for Nathan Kitson to be within two points of the home team.

It was Kitson who inspired victory in the remaining few seconds, his intelligent chip over the top was touched down by McClelland for his second try of the game to round of a superb comeback from the Leeds based outfit.