First Utility Super League XIX Round 7 Review

After round 7 only St Helens have a 100% record as they ended Leeds Rhinos unbeatens start to season in a pulsating game at Langtree Park.

Warrington got back to winning ways with a win at Huddersfield, as th London Broncos still remained the only side without a win this season.

Below we look at how everything else went:

London Broncos 6

Tries: McMeeken
Goals: Drinkwater

Castleford Tigers 54

Tries: Channing, Holmes, Shenton 2, Finn, Huby, Carney 2, Dorn
Goals: Ellis 9

Att: 1,036

Castleford Tigers got back up and running by handing out another hammering to winless London Broncos at The Hive.

After suffering six straight losses, the Broncos were looking to break their duck against Castleford who were looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season last week at Salford.

The opening few minutes were pretty even until the 11th minute when good work by Daryl Clark led to ex Londoner Michael Channing scoring out wide.

On 22 minutes, try number 2 arrived as skipper Michael Shenton broker clear and in support was Oliver Holmes to touchdown next to the uprights.

Deservingly Shenton was next to score and in more misery for the hosts Atelea Vea was put in the sin-bin for a professional foul on Castleford Skipper as he strode clear.

Liam Finn made the extra man count by adding the visitor's fourth try just before the break to make it 24-0.

It got even better for the Tigers after the resumption as big prop Craig Huby raced over after taking a Finn pass and the onslaught continued with Justin Carney streaking clear after more good work from Shenton.

The poor Londoners has no answer to the rampaging Tigers as another former player Luke Dorn got on the scoresheet. Shenton and Carney soon added doubles and with Jamie Ellis kicking nine from nine the lead was up to 54-0.

At least there was no whitewash as in the final few minutes Mike McMeeken crashed over for a consolation after a short pass from Scott Moore but it was Cas ‘ day who moved back into second place two points behind leaders Saints.

Hull FC 30

Tries: Miller, Shaul, Crooks, Horne, Watts
Goals: Crooks 5

Salford Red Devils 8

Tries: Johnson, Sau

Att: 9,821

Hull FC got a moral boosting win at the KC Stadium over misfiring Salford Red Devils.

After last week's humiliating 7-0 home defeat to Widnes, The Black and Whites had a week of crisis talks in order to turn their season around.

Salford welcomed back Steve Rapira from a shoulder injury as they looked to improve on last week's good win over Castleford Tigers.

And it was the visitors who made a good start by forcing three successive drop outs without Hull getting their hands on the ball, but the hosts held tight and took the lead themselves.

Ex West Tiger Jacob Miller jinked his way to the line with Ben Crooks adding the extras. The Red Devils soon got back into things as Greg Johnson raced down the wing to score out wide.

Ten minute before the break, Hull made it 12-4 as Jamie Shaul gathered Horne's well-weighted kick to touchdown underneath the posts.

Shortly after the restart Shaul took a kick on his own line before racing 80 metres downfield and on the next play the ball was spread wide for Crooks to score the hosts third try of the game.

Good work by Jay Pitts setup Horne to make it 24-4 only for Salford to hit back with a touchdown by Junior Sau.

Hull withstood a spell of pressure from the Red Devils and wrapped the game up with Liam Watts going over in the last minute.

However, Salford will not have long to wait for revenge as both sides will do battle again at the KC next Thursday night in the fourth round of the Tetley's Challenge Cup.

St Helens 14

Tries: Walker, Makinson 2
Goals: Makinson

Leeds Rhinos 10

Tries: McGuire
Goals: Sinfield 3

Att: 13,788

St Helens kept up their 100% start to the campaign with a dramatic late win over Leeds Rhinos at Langtree Park to end the visitor's unbeaten start to the season.

Something had to give as both St Helens and Leeds Rhinos put their unbeaten record on the line. Saints had injury and suspension worries with no fewer than seven regulars missing.

The game was played at a tremendous pace from the start as both Carl Ablett and Jonny Lomax fumbled the ball under extreme pressure.

It was the Rhinos who settled down the better and opened the scoring on 18 minutes when good work by Ablett setup Danny McGuire for his 250 th try of his 13 year career. Kevin Sinfield's goal brought up his 3,500th point for the club and gave his side a 6-0 lead.

In this epic contest Saints hit back after a knock-on from centre Kallum Watkins deep inside his own half led to loose forward Anthony Walker taking James Roby's pass to crash over . Tommy Makinson kicked the goal to make it 6-6 which was the score at Half Time.

Once again the game continued at the same tempo after the resumption and Leeds edged 8-6 in front with a penalty from Sinfield on 55 minutes and they had the momentum when they forced two goal-line drop-outs.

However, St Helens superbly defended strongly and moved into a 10-8 lead when veteran player Paul Wellens, celebrated his record equalling 413th appearance in Super League, by sending Makinson over at the corner on 64 minutes.

Sinfield drew his side level five minutes later with his second penalty goal and then the Leeds Skipper missed a drop goal which proved decisive.

In a dramatic last few minutes, Saints snatched the points when Lomax gathered Lance Hohaia's kick over the Leeds defence and punted the ball ahead for Makinson to touch down at the corner in a pulsating end to superb game.

So St Helens move two points clear at the top of the First Utility Super League Table as the Rhinos suffer their first loss in 2014 and drop to third spot.

Wigan Warriors 22

Tries: Bowen 2, Charnley, Farrell
Goals: Smith 3

Catalan Dragons 16

Tries: Escare 2, Pomeroy
Goals: Bosc 2

Att: 11,216

Wigan Warriors made it three wins on the bounce by edging past Catalan Dragons at the DW Stadium.

Skipper Sean O'Loughlin was back after a three-game injury absence for the Warriors as they looked to build on last week's good win at Warrington.

But, it was Catalan who flew out of the blocks s and hit Wigan with two tries in the opening ten minutes of the game to lead 10-0.

French youngster Morgan Escare cut through to score the first try of the game with Thomas Bosc adding the extras.

The next score came from a superb flowing passing move which was finished off by ex Cronulla Shark Ben Pomeroy who showed some strength to muscle his way over the line for an unconverted try.

Finally it took half an hour for the Warriors to get into their stride and thanks to ex Cowboy legend Matty Bowen , who dummied his way over the line , the gap was down to 10-4 at the break.

Wigan made a good start to the second half but failed to build on their possession and they fell further behind when a towering bomb from Leon Pryce was spilled by Bowen and on hand was Escare to scoop up the loose ball. Bosc licked his second goal to make it 16-4.

Josh Charnley gave the hosts some hope by scoring out wide and the comeback was complete when Liam Farrell collected a short offload from Matty Smith. The scrum-half then converted to level it up at 16-16.

Both teams came close to scoring but at their second attempt, Wigan won the game late on when Bowen raced 65 metres through some tired defence to score the all important match winning try.

Huddersfield Giants 14

Tries: Grix, Broughton
Goals: Brough 3

Warrington Wolves 33

Tries: R. Evans, Myler, Westwood, Russell, Ormsby, J. Monaghan
Goals: Ratchford, Bridge 3

Drop Goal: Ratchford

Att: 7,068

Warrington Wolves turned in a dominant second half performance to run out comfortable winners over Huddersfield Giants at the John Smith's Stadium.

The Giants were hoping to get their first win at home this season but they faced their bogie side Warrington Wolves who themselves were looking to bounce back after a home defeat to Wigan last time out.

But it would be the Giants first half and after a rolling run by big prop Eorl Crabtree, Scott Grix scored the game's first try.

Danny Brough kicked the extras and a penalty goal to make it 8-01 before Warrington finally got on the scoreboard as they took advantage of a knock-on by Luke Robinson near his own line with Rhys Evans dummying his way over the line.

Four minutes before half-time Brough raced 60 metres up field before sending the supporting Jodie Broughton over for Huddersfield' second try and make it 14-4 at the break.

Richard Myler went through a gap in the Huddersfield defence to reduce the gap and suddenly the Wolves upped the tempo to take control of the game.

Next on the scoreboard was Ben Westwood to level things up and the comeback was complete when Matty Russell supported a break by hooker Mickey Higham to touch down.

Stefan Ratchford then kicked a drop goal and the game was up for the hosts when Gene Ormsby took Myler's long pass to score out wide.

In final seconds of the game, Joel Monaghan added a sixth try for Warrington as they claimed the points for a moral boosting win.

Hull KR 44

Tries: Costigan, Caro 2, Hodgson 2, Welham 2, Keating
Goals: Burns 6

Wakefield Wildcats 6

Tries: Godinet
Goal: Sammut

Att: 6,983

Hull KR eased to victory over Wakefield Wildcats in a one-sided game at the KC Lightstream Stadium Craven Park.

After a good win over Bradford last week, Rovers were looking for more of the same as they entertained Wakefield Wildcats who gave St Helens a run for their money last week.

Rovers made the perfect start by building the pressure which led to Adam Walker's offload allowing Neville Costigan to score his first try for Hull KR.

Omari Caro finished off a good move as the home side doubled their lead and in the final ten minutes of the First Half, it got even better for the Robins with Josh Hodgson scoring from close range.

There was still time for another score as Kris Welham got on the end of Kris Keating's kick to make it 22-0 at the interval.

It was not long before a fifth try for the hosts arrived as Welham started the move which saw Caro racing in for his second try of the afternoon. Burns missed the conversion, but it did not matter as Keating went through some poor defence to score under the posts.

Keating began to run the show as setup another for Hodgson, Welham then also made it a double as the score ballooned out to 44-0.

However, there would be no second successive clean sheet as Pita Godinet intercepted a Keating pass to score a consolation for the well beaten Wildcats.

There was still time for Kris Welham got on the end

Widnes Vikings 22

Tries: Owens, Brown 2, Ah Van
Goals: Tickle 3

Bradford Bulls 18

Tries: Sutcliffe, Kear, Kearney
Goals: Gale 3

Att: 5,581

Widnes Vikings continued their good run of form with a hard-fought win over bottom of the table Bradford Bulls at the Select Security Stadium.

After finally sorting out their ownership problems, Bradford Bulls needed a win to get back to zero points and move off the bottom of the table, but they faced a real test against a Vikings side that had not lost at home this year.

The Bulls made the early running but despite having plenty of territory they could not get over the line and it was Widnes who would take the lead.

On 14 minutes young scrum-half Tom Gilmore sent Jack Owens over the line for a well worked try.

Kevin Brown, the main playmaker for the Vikings, continued with his rich vein of form by adding a brace before the break. However, with second remaining in the first half on-loan Leeds player Lim Sutcliffe gave the Bulls some hope by scoring an important try to make it 16-6.

Soon after the resumption it was game on as Luke Gale's pinpoint cross-field kick was collected by Elliott Kear. Gale added the extras to cut the gap to 4 points.

Despite Bradford controlling the game they were pegged back further as one of their ex players Patrick Ah Van touchdown to give the Vikings a useful cushion.

Back came the visitors with a weaving run by Brett Kearney to setup a grandstand finish but great defence by Widnes made sure of the win as the Bulls woes continue.

First Utility Super League XIX Ladder after Round 7