With all Round seven games in the Kingstone Press Championship kicking off simultaneously on Sunday afternoon we had eighty minutes to see whether Hull KR, Toulouse, Featherstone and London Broncos could maintain their top four spots. The game of the afternoon looked like it would be the visit of Toulouse to Featherstone, while Halifax's trip to Hull KR also looked an intriguing prospect.
Further down the table the Sheffield Eagles travelled to Swinton, London hosted Rochdale, Oldham were at Batley Bulldogs while the Bradford Bulls continued their quest for positive points against Dewsbury Rams.
In the end it was an important 28-14 win for the league leaders Hull KR but they didn't have it all their own way, especially in the first half, against a plucky Halifax. A Tyrer penalty had cancelled out an earlier one from Ellis before Grady got the first four pointer on the half hour. Blair levelled the scores at 8-8 a few minutes later but a Saltonstall converted try gave the visitors a 14-8 lead at the interval. The second half was all KR as Greenwood, Abdull and Moss all scored four pointers, Ellis kicking four second half goals, to seal the win and maintain the 100% start to the season.
A great away win for Toulouse lifted them above today's opponents Featherstone Rovers and into second spot. Toulouse had established a sixteen point lead through tries from Kheirallah (2) and Curran before a Mariano converted try reduced the arrears. Hepi and Hardman then exchanged tries before the interval for a 12-22 interval scoreline. Robin extended the visitors lead early in the second half but a Ulugia brace made it 26-28 with twelve minutes remaining. Kheirallah completed his hat-trick on seventh-three and when he added his fifth goal of the afternoon it gave Toulouse a 34-26 win.
It took two Rochdale Hornets tries to wake London Broncos from their slumbers. Massam grabbed a brace for the visitors who had an 8-0 lead after thirty minutes but Pewhairangi reduced the lead to 8-6 at the interval. The second half was a Broncos masterclass with tries from Harrison, Sammut, Purtell and Pitts sealing a 28-8 win which maintains the Broncos top Four place.
Batley Bulldogs ensured that the top four will be looking nervously over their shoulders with a massive 50-10 victory over Oldham. Tries from Scott, Leak and Hayward (2) along with four Walker conversions gave the home side a 24-0 half-time lead. Walker had extended that lead to 30-0 before Ward and Lepori scored for the visitors to put ten points on the board. Farrell, Smeaton, Gledhill and a second for Leak sealed the comprehensive home win as Walker kicked seven goals.
The Swinton Lions and Sheffield Eagles had a massive tussle at Haywood Road which ended with a narrow Eagles victory to lift them up to eighth in the table. Butt had opened the scoring for the home side but Yere and Lo responded for the Eagles before Murphy scored Swinton second leaving the home side trailing 8-10 at the interval. James and Minchella put some daylight between the Eagles and the Lions at 22-8 and Scott made it 28-8 on sixty-seven minutes before a tremendous Swinton fightback. Kenny, Bate and Hankinson all scored within the closing five minutes, but with Atkin kicking just two conversions all afternoon, it was the boot of Sheffields Brown which took the game with a 28-24 winning margin.
Bradford Bulls secured their fourth win of the season, moving them to -4 league points, with a comprehensive 56-18 win over the Dewsbury Rams. Crookes had opened the scoring for Dewsbury as early as the fourth minute but once Bradford hit their stride there would be no stopping them. Wilkinson and Murray both scored converted tries for the Bulls but a Glover try for the Rams gave them a 14-12 lead at the interval. The second half was a Bulls try-fest with four-pointers from; Caro, Mancini (2), Smith, Magrin (2), Roche and Oakes but only after Brown had extended the Dewsbury lead. Eight conversions added to the damage of the ten try Bulls haul.
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