NRL Match Review & Judiciary Charges: 2024 Round 8
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Engage Super League XVI Round 10 Review
Engage Super League XVI Round 10 review by Simon Reuben
Castleford Tigers snatched a point at the death as they denied Harlequins RL at the Twickenham Stoop.
Coming into to this game, Quins had shipped in 198 points in their last four matches, but they took the lead on 16 minutes when Luke Gale and Luke Dorn linked up to send in Lamont Bryant.
Rangi Chase was pulling the strings for the Tigers and he set up young winger Richard Owen to level things up and then he followed up Kirk Dixon's break to give the visitors the lead.
But, just before the break Englandcentre Tony Clubb forced his way over as Quins cut the gap to 12-10.
After the restart Castleford upped the tempo and once again Chase was the provider as Owen went over for a double. Daryl Clarke made it 24-12 as he strolled over after Craig
Huby's break.
However, the Londoners would not lie down and with 12 minutes to go Dorn gave his side some hope by going over. Seven minutes to go it was game on as Clubb Bulldozed his way over the line.
Quins then thought they had won it when Ellis crossed on 78 minutes, Gale adding the extras from in front of the posts, only from the kick off , Cas were awarded a penalty and Dixon kept his nerve to land his fifth kick of the night as snatch a draw.
Harlequins RL 26 (Clubb 2, Bryan, Dorn and Ellis tries. Gale 3 goals.)
drew with Castleford Tigers 26 (Owen 2, Chase, Clark tries. Dixon 5
goals.)
Att: 4,128
Wigan Warriors got back on track as they got past Hull KR at Craven Park.
Having not won in their last three matches, the Champions made a quick start to the game. Joel Tomkins made the most of Scott Murrell's error to open the scoring and just on 20-minutes Wigan made it 10-0 as Ryan Hoffman strolled through the host's defence to score.
Substitute Matt Cook scored his second try in as many games as Rovers got on the scoreboard. But the Warriors made it 16-6 at the break as Josh Charnley scored against the club he played on loan for last season.
Rovers came out strongly in the second half and got back into the game thanks to a first ever try from marquee signing Big Willie Mason.
But, the Warriors showed their championship quality as Thomas Leuluai scored from close range after a typical run from dummy half. Pat Richards added the extras as the visitors moved into a 22-10 lead.
Ben Cockayne set up a grandstand finale when he touchdown Blake Green's kick close to the posts. Murrell's added the conversion as there was one score between the teams.
Richards edged Wigan ahead with a penalty goal and three minutes from time George Carmont wrapped up the win.
After the game coach Michael McGuire announced that he would leave Wigan for South Sydney Rabbitohs at the end of the campaign.
Wigan Warriors 28 (J. Tomkins, Hoffman, Charnley, Leuliai and Carmont tries. Richards 4 goals.) defeated Hull KR 16 (Cook, Mason and Cockayne tries. Murrell 2 goals.)
Att: 8,703
Huddersfield Giants moved clear at the top of Super League as they destroyed Leeds Rhinos at Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
Form horses Huddersfield Giants were looking for the first win at Headingley for over 50 years and they showed their Grand final credentials from the start and took the lead after Dale Ferguson found a huge gap in the host's defence.
Jermaine McGilvary finished off a fine move, out wide as the visitors increased their advantage to 12-0. Danny Brough kicked a penalty goal before Ferguson brushed off Leeds full-back Brent Webb to make it 20-0 at the break as the Rhinos were booed off the field.
Nine minutes into the second half, both teams were reduced to twelve men as Ryan Bailey and Luke O'Donnell were shown red cards for trading blows in a 26 man mass brawl
Leeds finally broke their duck as a Keith Senior break set up Rob Burrow to score. Kevin Sinfield added the extras, but this was as good as it got for the Rhinos.
The Giants were then reduced to 11 when Scott Grix was placed in the sin-bin for a professional foul, but Leeds failed to capitalise on their advantage.
In the last quarter Huddersfield moved out of sight. the numbers were back to 11 against 11 when Webb was also visited the sin-bin and Substitute hooker Shaun Lunt helped himself to
a brace with Luke Robinson adding other as the Giants put their 26 game Headingley hoodoo to bed to move one point clear at the top of the Engage Super League. For Leeds it was a third successive game without a win.
Huddersfield Giants 38 (Ferguson 2, Lunt 2, McGillvary, Robinson tries. Brough 7 goals.) defeated Leeds Rhinos 6 (Burrow try. Sinfield goal)
Att: 14,768
St Helens ran in nine tries as they made it five win on the bounce by hammering Wakefield Wildcats at Stobart Stadium Widnes.
Wakefield who were missing several players also suffered a blow as inspirational captain Glen Morrison was unable to play. And they went behind early on as Paul Wellens set up Jamie foster for the opening try.
It got even better for Saints as young half-back Jonny Lomax ducked under Liam Higgins tackle to double the advantage. A brilliant break from Jon Wilkin set up Foster for his
double.
Just before the break Michael Shenton forced his way over the line for his 100th try of his career as St Helens effectively wrapped the game up with a 24-0 advantage.
Ex Saint Chris Dean dashed in from 70-meters to finally give the wildcat Fans some cheer, but, this was short lived as the St Helens machine rolled into motion again as Shenton sent Ade Gardner over.
A James Roby burst from midfield set up Gary Wheeler for the host's sixth try of the night. Wellens scored for the fifth successive game and Tony Puletua added another.
Tommy Makinson took Saint's passed the fifty point barrier as they romped home to become the first team in the summer era to notch up 300 wins as they kept on the heels of league leaders Huddersfield Giants.
St Helens 52 (Foster 2, Lomax, Shenton, Gardner, Wheeler, Wellens, Makinson and Puletua tries. Foster 8 goals.) defeated Wakefield Wildcats 6 (Dean try. Griffin goal.)
Att: 7,003
Warrington Wolves crushed Crusaders in an 11-try romp at H.J. Stadium.
After loosing at Huddersfield last week, the Wolves came into this game under a bit of pressure and went behind on two minutes as Rhys Hanbury opened the scoring with a run from dummy half.
Crusaders defended well in the open quarter and denied Warrington on several occasions. But the pressure told as the Wolves began to get on top and the floodgates opened.
Brett Hodgson latched onto Michael Monaghan's offload. Ben Westwood added another shortly after and Rhys Williams, who had spent the early part of the season on loan at the Crusaders, made it 18-0.
Just on half time Louis Anderson made it 24-6 as he latched on to Michael Monaghan kick.
Normal service resumed after the break as Ryan Atkins outpaced Clinton Schifcofske to Williams' kick down the left touch-line. Westwood made it a double before Chris Bridge
scored immediately after the kick off after good work by Michael Monaghan.
Vince Mellars and Bridge spent a spell in the sin-bin for fighting and with more space Warrington added three further tries to romp home. Joel Monaghan crossed on the right and Richard Myler finished things off late on.
Warrington Wolves 64 (Hodgson 2, Westwood 2, Atkins 2, Williams, Anderson, Bridge, Monaghan and Myler tries. Hodgson 10 goals.) defeated Celtic Crusaders 6 (Hanbury try. Schifcofske goal)
Att: 10,002
Catalan Dragons moved up to sixth as they got past Hull FC in Perpignan.
The Dragons were back home in France after two impressive away wins at Warrington and Wigan. They started the better but failed to make their chances count and they were made to pay as Tom Briscoe outpaced the cover to open the scoring for Hull.
Catalan hit back as a short pass from Ben Farrar sent in Jean-Philippe Baile. From the kick-off, Menzies released Setaimata Sa to break down field and draw the full-back before passing to the supporting Damien Blanch. Scott Dureau added the extras to take the lead up to 12-4.
A poor offload from Eloi Pelissier found its way into the hands of Sam Obst, who raced in from 30 metres. Fitzgibbon added the extras to cut the gap to 12-10 at the break.
Early into the second period a loose ball was collected by Baile and he found Frederic Vaccari who raced away to score.
Ian Henderson scooted over from dummy half as the dragons made it 22-10 and then came the try of the match. 37 year old Steve Menzies raced the length-of-the-field for a stunning effort as Catalan ran out easy winners. This was only the French side's second home win in 13 months.
Catalan Dragons 28 (Baile, Blanch, Vaccari, Menzies and Henderson tries. Dureau 4 goals.) defeated Hull FC 10 (Briscoe, Obst tries. Fitzgibbon goal)
Att: 8,025
Salford City Reds turned in a dazzling performance as they thrashed Bradford Bulls at The Willows.
Bradford made a flying start when skipper Andy Lynch charged over from Heath L'Estrange's short pass after only 90 seconds.
But Salford hit back with two tries in three minutes, both on the nod of the video ref. Daniel Holdsworth took Vinnie Anderson's pass to force his way over before adding the conversion,
then he threw out a long pass for Mark Henry to squeeze over in the corner.
Ashley Gibson punished some poor Bradford handling and raced in unopposed. Just before the break Luke Pattern set up Jodie Broughton to give the City Reds a healthy 24-6 lead.
The Bulls need to score first in the second half and they did as Marc Herbert went over after a weaving run.
Steve Wild managed to slip out a pass under pressure and Holdsworth put Matty Smith
over to make it 30-10 in favour of the hosts.
Salford now went through the gears and Gibson added two more to complete his hat-trick.
Patten stole the ball from Tom Olbison 10 minutes from time and Stefan Ratchford was On hand to increase the City Reds advantage.
It was becoming a rout as Bradford conceded another try to Henry with Holdsworth's conversion bringing up the fifty point barrier.
The Bulls had to wait until three minutes from time for Herbert to bag his second But Salford still had the final say with Luke Adamson adding their 10th touchdown of the night.
Salford City Reds 56 (Gibson 3, Henry 2, Holdsworth, Broughton, Smith, Ratchford, Adamson tries. Holdsworth 8 goals) defeated Bradford Bulls 16 (Herbert 2, Lynch tries. Herbert 2 goals)
Att: 2,809