Phins fly past sluggish Eels
8 hours ago | Andy P
Engage Super League XVI Round 12 Review
Catalans Dragons and Bradford Bulls shared the spoils in a low scoring affair at Gilbert Brutus Stadium in Perpignan.
As the North of England was experiencing unusual warm weather, the South of France offered the opposite as just before the game started a thunderstorm and heavy rain made the underfoot conditions slippery and this made a the game scrappy, with the error count being very high.
Catalan opened the scoring after good work from ex Knight Scott Dureau lead to Ben Farrar going over for the first try of the match. Dureau added the extras to make it 6-0.
As the rain began to pour down both teams struggled to play out their sets but on the half hour Bradford gained some possession in the Dragons twenty and Heath L'Estrange, on the nod of the video referee, scrambled over from dummy half. Patrick Au Van tagged on the goal as the teams went into half time at 6-6.
The second half was much of the same as both teams struggled to hold on to the ball. Dureau and Au Van exchanged penalty goals.
In the last ten minutes of the game Catalan and Bradford both missed one pointer opportunities and in the end a draw was a fair result.
Catalan Dragons 8 (Farrar try; Dureau 2 goals) drew with Bradford Bulls 8 (L'Estrange try; Ah Van 2 goals)
Att: 9,496
Hull KR held on to defeat Harlequins RL at Craven Park.
With both teams coming into this game needing a win after suffering defeats last Friday. Rovers started stronger and took the lead after a Blake Green delayed pass sent Jake Webster in.
Louis Sherriff made it 12-0 as he scored a try on his debut. But, Quins would not lie down and hit back to level with two tries Oliver Wilkes and Karl Temata were the visitors try scorers.
However led by Mick Dobson Rovers hit back to go into half time 24-12 up. He scored his first try of the season and then turned provider after a 40/20 kick led to Ben Galea diving over.
In the early stages of the second half the Londoners showed their sprit and levelled at 24-24 with scores from Luke Dorn and Lee Mitchell.
Scott Murrell side-stepped into a gap with 14 minutes left on the clock to give Rovers the lead again, Dobson's drop-goal effectively won the game for the hosts and the icing was put on the cake as Ben Fisher crossed in the dying seconds.
Hull KR 37 (Webster, Sheriff, Dobson, Galea, Murrell, Fisher tries; Dobson 5, Murrell 1 goals; Dobson 1 field goal) def Harlequins RL 24 (Wilkes, Temata, Dorn, Mitchell tries; Gale 4 goals)
Att: 7,139
Leeds Rhinos made it two wins over the Easter period as they saw off Crusaders at Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
The game was stalemate for the opening period, but the tempo changed when the Rhinos welcomed back inspirational half-back Danny McGuire who was on the bench for the first time this year after missing seven months due to a serious knee injury.
Brett Delaney raced 70-meters to give Leeds the lead and then McGuire was involved in the move that saw Carl Ablett doubling the host's advantage.
Just before the break Keith Senior jinked over as the Rhinos led 18-0.
Shortly after the resumption Rob Burrow made it 24-0 as he scored from dummy half.
However, Crusaders made a game of it by adding three unanswered scores. Ex Rhino Jordan Tansey scored out wide, before two interceptions from Michael Witt and Rhys Hanbury made the score 24-16.
But Senior added his second of the game before in the last minute Kylie Leuluai scored underneath the posts to see Leeds home.
Leeds Rhinos 34 (Senior 2, Delaney, Ablett, Burrow, Leuluai tries) def Crusaders 16 (Tansey, Witt, Hanbury tries; Schifcofske 2 goals)
Att: 14,165
St Helens snatched victory over Castleford Tigers with a last minute conversion at Stobart Stadium Widnes.
Both teams went at each other in the first fifteen minutes and with his first touch Tom Armstrong gave St Helens the lead.
Stuart Jones made the most of Jamie Foster's mistake to get the Tigers into the game. Kirk Dixon kicked the visitors in front on 32-minutes, but just before the interval Armstrong's second of the half to give St Helens a narrow 12-8 lead.
Rangi Chase glided in just after the restart as Cas took the lead and after Jordan Thompson polished off a fine move orchestrated by Chase and Danny Orr, the visitors appeared to be in control leading 20-12 after 65 minutes.
However, in typical fashion Saints manufactured a comeback Jon Wilkin gathered his own kick and Michael Shenton created the space for Ade Gardner to go in at the corner. Foster missed with the goal, leaving the Tigers holding onto a four-point lead.
With seconds left in the game Francis Meli went over in the corner and Foster kept his nerve to kick the winning conversion from the touchline.
So d�j� Vue for Saints after suffering a last second defeat at Wigan on Friday, they won this game at the death to move top of the table.
St Helens 22 (Armstrong 2, Gardner, Meli tries' Foster 3 goals) def Castleford Tigers 20 (S Jones, Chase, Thompson tries; Dixon 4 goals)
Att: 8,010
Hull FC stunned league Leaders Warrington Wolves by tuning in a strong away performance at HJ Stadium.
Warrington had moved top of the table after demolishing Salford on Friday 60-0 and they continued their good form as the retuning Matt King sent winger Joel Monaghan in for his tenth try of 2011.
Rhys Williams flew down the wing as the Wolves made it 10-0 with Brett Hodgson's conversion.
After winning the Hull Derby, FC turned the tide and after a break from Richard Horne, Danny Houghton got his team back into the game. Kirk Yeaman gave the visitors a narrow 12-10 half time lead as he nipped in from dummy half.
As the Black and Whites continued to get on top the Wolves faded and Will Sharp raced in from 70-meters to make it 18-10.
Warrington tried to get back into the match but they failed and with time running out Yeaman made the most of Adrian Morley loosing the ball as Hull FC deservedly took the points to knock the Wolves of the Engage Super League summit.
Hull FC 24 (Houghton, Yeaman 2, Sharp tries; Tickle 4 goals) def Warrington Wolves 10 (J. Monaghan, Williams tries; Hodgson 1 goal)
Att: 12,036
Champions Wigan Warriors showed their class as they shut out Wakefield Wildcats at Rapid Solicitors Stadium.
The Warriors made it look easy early on as skipper Sean O'Loughlin pass over the top sent Pat Richards away down left to open the scoring. Wakefield defended better for twenty minutes but a break from Ryan Hoffman was supported by Sam Tomkins who went over to make it 10-0.
The Tomkins brothers combined as Josh Charnley scored in the corner to give Wigan a 14-0 half time advantage.
Paul Johnson came close to getting the Wildcats on the scoreboard in the second half but the brutal visitors defence kept him out.
Joel Tomkins powered his way over the line as the defenders fell of him. Richards added the extras to take Wigan up to 20-0.
Substitute forward Liam Farrell found a gap and fed O'Loughlin who scored his sides' fifth try of the game to complete a comprehensive victory.
Wigan Warriors 26 (Richards, S. Tomkins, Charnley, J. Tomkins, O'Loughlin tries; Richards 3 goals) def Wakefield Wildcats 0
Att: 8,163
The game between Huddersfield Giants and Salford City Reds was delayed until Tuesday evening due the availability of Galpharm Stadium.
The game between Huddersfield Giants and Salford City Reds was delayed until Tuesday evening due the availability of Galpharm Stadium.