Super League XVIII - Round 2 Review

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Round 2 of the 2013 Super League season saw one big shock as Castleford Tigers claimed their first win since last July and the scalp was a big one, the Champions Leeds Rhinos.

In a battle of two of the big teams Wigan and Warrington played out a draw  and there were more impressive wins for Huddersfield and Catalan Dragons who both have 100% records.

So below we have a look at how the games went:


Wigan Warriors 17
Tries: Charnley, Flower, Farrell 
Goals: Richards 2
Drop Goal: Smith

Warrington Wolves 17
Tries: J. Monaghan 2, Myler,
Goals: Hodgson 2
Drop Goal: Briers

Att: 20,050

Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves cancelled each other out in a bruising contest at the DW Stadium.

These two great rivals were looking to put down the early season marker in a heavy weight clash. Wigan had to make late changes in their pack with the unavailability of four regulars meant a teenager Greg Burke was handed his debut off the bench.

But at full strength Warrington made customary fast start and took the lead after nine minutes. Joel Monaghan took superb accurate pass from Lee Briers to get things underway and Brett Hodgson landed the touchline conversion to make it 6-0 

This seemed to spark Wigan into action and they hit back with a two try burst to take the lead 10-6.  Darrell Goulding sucked in two defenders and set up Josh Charnley to score out wide on 15 minutes. Shortly after great work by skipper Sean O'Loughlin led to Ben Flower bursting thorugh for the home side's second try of the night. Pat Richards kicked one goal.

The Wolves then upped the tempo but some mistakes and great Wigan defence prevented them getting on the scoreboard, but the pressure told and four minutes from half time as Charnley failed to take Briers' high kick the ball was moved quickly to the right for  Monaghan to make it a double.
Hodgson failed with the conversion attempt and Richards edged Wigan into a narrow 12-10 lead by kicking a late first half penalty.

Immediately after the restart the visitors re-took the lead as England scrum-half Richard Myler jinked past Three Wigan defenders to score next to the posts.

Ten minutes into the second half it was 16-16 as half-backs Matty Smith and Blake Green combined to get second rower Liam Farrell over for the hosts third score.

Both teams pushed for the decisive score and it was Wigan who struck first as Matty Smith slotted over a one pointer 9 minutes from time, but with time running out enter the experienced Briers who made sure Warrington would not leave empty handed as he squared the game up with a drop goal which rebounded of the left hand upright.


Catalan Dragons 40
Tries: Casty, Menzies, Duport 2, Henderson, Elima, Millard
Goals: Bosc 6

Salford City Reds 6
Tries: Evalds
Goal: Murphy

Att: 6,872

Despite playing the majority of the game with twelve men, Catalan Dragons were far too strong for Salford City Reds as they romped home in Perpignan.

It was not the greatest start for the French outfit as just after three minutes of play prop Julien Bousquet was given his marching orders for a late and high hit on Salford youngster Theo Fages, which saw him carried off on a stretcher.

Step forward new signing Brent Webb, making his home debut, the ex Rhino took control and ran the game for the hosts. On 11 minutes Vincent Duport took Webb's pass and broke down the left hand touchline to set up Remi Casty for the opening score of the game.

From the restart Salford should have got on terms but Andrew Dixon dropped the ball with line open and Midway through the first half, the City Reds were punished as good work by Webb and Zeb Taia led to Steve Menzies going over under the posts.

But the visitors hit back and after a half break by Ryan McGoldrick, Niall Evalds was on hand to score Salford's first try of the season in the right corner.

However, in the dying minutes of the first half Thomas Bosc and Leon Pryce combined to set up Duport to make it 16-6 to Catalan.

After the break, Catalan upped the tempo and blew Salford away. Ian Henderson got the first and Oliver Elima scored another and with Bosc converting both the lead was extended to 28-6.

Webb then turned on the style in the last twenty minutes, he first got Duport over for his second of the game and from the restart, he put Louis Anderson away down the short side play and then he passed to the supporting Daryl Millard who scored the French side's seventh try of the night by racing in from 50 meters as the City Reds suffered a second heavy defeat despite playing for 77 minutes with an extra man


Wakefield Wildcats 36
Tries: Aiton, Lyne, Fox, Collis, Cockayne 3
Goals: Sykes 4

Hull KR 20
Tries: Paterson, Hall, J. Hodgson, D. Hodgson
Goals: Dobson 2

Att: 9,237

Wakefield Wildcats made amends for last week's heavy defeat by seeing off Hull KR at The Rapid Solicitors Stadium.

Already without six members of their senior squad, Rovers could have hoped for a worst start as in the opening seconds of the game they lost makeshift half Lincoln Withers with a nasty head injury.
On 16 minutes the game turned in Wakefield' favour as Graeme Horne was given a spell in the sin-bin after Hull KR were put on a team warning. 

The Wildcats made the extra man count as they ran in three unanswered tries. Paul Aiton got things underway. Reece Lyne took full-back Richard Mathers' pass to score the second and his first for his new club.

Danny Kirmond broke through the Rovers line and his kick bounced immaculately into the hands ex Hull KR winger Peter Fox, who claimed the third.

Paul Sykes landed all three conversions to make it 18-0. But as soon as the visitors were back to full strength they looked a different team and hit back with two scores themselves to cut the deficit at the break to 18-10.

Ex North Queensland Cowboy Cory Paterson took a pass from Craig Hall to touch down and then returned the compliment by putting the full-back over. 

At the start of the second half the fightback was cut short when Dean Collis went after good work by Tim Smith and Mathers.

It was The Wildcats turn to be down to 12 men when Kirmond was sin-binned for laying on in the tackle and like in the first half Rovers made them pay by scoring two tries in nine minutes from Hooker Josh Hodgson and namesake David Hodgson scored the other after taking  Michal Dobson's kick to the corner.

The game was now in the melting pot at 24-20 but enter ex Hull KR winger Ben Cockayne who made sure of a Wildcats win by scoring a hat-trick in the last quarter of the game to hand his former team a second successive defeat.


Huddersfield Giants 34
Tries: Crabtree, Lunt 2, Kopczak, Ferres, Wardle
Goals: Brough 5

London Broncos 6
Tries: Rodney
Goals: Grady

Att: 5,273

Huddersfield Giants continued their great start to 2013 with another thumping win over London Broncos at the John Smiths Stadium.

After Last week's destruction of St Helens, the confident Giants were looking to continue where they left off against a London team looking to get off the mark.

The first half was a dull affair and it was the hosts who went into the break with a 12-6 lead. Eorl Crabtree got thing underway on 8 minutes after some good work by hooker Shaun.

Crabtree repaid the favour by sending Lunt over on 19 minutes as the hooker showed some good foot work. Danny Brough made it 2 from 2.

 A fine solo effort from ex Manly forward Shane Rooney produced the Broncos only try of the game as they were kept scoreless.

Ex New Zealand Warrior Ukuma Ta'ai coming on for his debut after gaining his work permit early last week and his team 

Ta'ai, signed from New Zealand Warriors, suffered a delay to his work visa and was only able to train with the Giants for the first time last Wednesday. His fellow prop Crsig Kopczack powered over the line for the hosts first score of the second half.
 
Lunt charged the ball down and raced 50-meter to score his second to end any hopes for the Londoners.

Brett Ferres went over on 69 minutes and Joe Wardle powered through with time running out as the Giants out powered their opponents with another impressive win.


Hull FC 28
Tries: J. Crookes, McDonnell, Briscoe, Holdsworth, Pitts
Goals: Holdsworth 4

Bradford Bulls 12
Tries: Blythe, Kearney
Goals: Foster 2

Att: 10,952

Hull FC put last week's dismal game at Leeds behind them with amoral boosting win over Bradford Bulls at the KC Stadium.

This game was rerun of Friday's aborted attempt, with the original fixture postponed following the unexpected closure of the M62. There were no problems in getting the game on today and the Black and Whites made a fast start.

The first score came from Jason Crookes against the side that he spent six years with, Ben Crooks supplying the final pass for the winger to go over on his home debut. Daniel Holdsworth added the extras.

Bradford started to settle into the game and missed chances to get on terms. They were made to pay as Hull were the next over the line as another home debutant Shannon McDonnell made it 12-0.showed great dexterity to score under pressure from Jamie Foster. Holdsworth added the goal again.

Tom Briscoe continued hull '  dominance by scoring their third try just after the break, after good work by centre partner Kirk Yeaman.
 
Holdsworth's miss was his first failure but the former City Red made amends by adding the host's fourth try and this time kicking the conversion to make it 22-0 going into the last quarter.

The Bulls got on the scoreboard with Matty Blyth taking a pass from Elliott Whitehead and scoring in the corner. Jamie Foster converting but it was temporary success for the visitors as Jay Pitts scored next to the posts after a fine run from Richard Horne.

The last score would belong to the Bulls and Brett Kearney who was on hand for a consolation. But it was the Black and Whites day as they got off the mark for 2013.


Widnes Vikings 4
Tries: Marsh

St Helens 16
Tries: Meli 2, Gaskell
Goals: Gaskell 2

Att: 8,322

St Helens gave Nathan Brown his first win as head coach by getting past local rivals Widnes Vikings at the Stobart Stadium.

Both teams had mixed fortunes last week, for Saints it was a heavy home defeat and for Widnes a big win at London.

Saints had never lost to Widnes in the Super League and they were looking to keep up this run against a Vikings team who gave a debut to their on-loan signing from Wigan Gareth Hock. 

The host's made the best possible start, taking the lead after only five minutes when winger Paddy Flynn palmed back Joe Mellor's kick to the corner for centre Stefan Marsh to score.

Saints made it 4-4 at half time as winger Francis Meli took Paul Wellens' long pass to cross on 17 minutes.
The game did not come alive until the hour mark when a mass brawl broke out which saw Widnes prop Ben Cross sent off following a high tackle on Wellens. Jon Clarke was also sin-binned for his part in the brawl, now reduced to eleven men the Vikings saw the game slip away.

Stand-off Lee Gaskell went through a gap for Saints' second try on 67 minutes as the extra two man advantage told.

Gaskell converted his own try and St Helens made sure of the win nine minutes from time when Jonny Lomax seized on a loose ball and sent Meli over for his second try, with Gaskell kicking a second goal in much needed win for Nathan Brown's boys.


Castleford Tigers 14
Tries: Webster, Tansey
Goals: Ellis 4

Leeds Rhinos 12
Tries: McGuire, Hall
Goals: Sinfield

Att: 9,103

Castleford Tigers claimed a dramatic late win over local rivals Leeds Rhinos at a wet and windy Wish Communications Stadium.

This is the game that Castleford are always desperate to win against their great big local rivals, Champions Leeds Rhinos.

Played in non-stop rain and gusty winds the match was a war of attrition. Lee Gilmour, Justin Carney, Jake Webster and former Leeds pair Weller Hauraki and Jordan Tansey made their Castleford home debuts.

Leeds brought in German international Jimmy Keinhorst in place of injured winger Joe Vickery.
Castleford took full advantage of revving two early penalties and took lead thanks to star player England halfback Rangi Chase's superbly-judged kick that set up Tansey.

The Rhinos hit back and after a barrage of possession Danny McGuire finished off a move he started by cleverly swapping passes with Joel Moon. Kevin Sinfield's conversion levelled the scores but the Tigers hit back.

Chase again showed his class by bursting clear to create the opening for Webster to make it 10-6 which was the score at the interval.

The visitors struggled to put their game together and were often let down by handling mistakes in the slippy conditions but they were given a boost as Castleford were reduced to 12 men in the 48th minute when substitute Nathan Massey was sin-binned for ball stealing after his team were put on a warning.

Leeds quickly capitalised on the extra man when McGuire's long pass sent in winger Ryan Hall at the corner and Sinfield added a superb touchline conversion to put the Rhinos in front for the first time 12-10.

Both teams started to make more mistakes as the game entered the last five minutes, but it was the Tigers who got the break and drew level after the Rhinos were penalised for a high tackle and Ellis added the equalising penalty goal.

In a dramatic final twist to the game Oliver Holmes was tackled inches short before Castleford were given a penalty, in-front of the posts, as Leeds were penalised for not being square at a play the ball. Ellis stepped up and tagged on the winning goal which was the Tigers first win since July.
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