A four day spread of the Challenge Cup Quarter-Finals allowed the Rugby League neutrals to take in a stunning 320 minutes of action that saw only one surprise result but two games ended with a really close outcome.
Vikings Slay Cougars
Thursday night saw Championship side Keighley travel to face Super League side Widnes and the visitors were dealt an early blow to their already huge task as they went 22-0 down inside 16 minutes as the Vikings ran in tries from Hulme, Gilmore and a double from Brown with Tickle converting three after missing the first attempt.
Keighley improved in defence but left the door open twice in the space of five minutes as Owens and March crossed with Owens taking over the kicking duties and converting both for a 32-0 lead at the interval.
Isa extended the lead for the hosts in the first minute of the second half and with Owens converting for 38-0, a huge score looked likely but one of the biggest cheers of the evening came when Williams crossed for Keighley with Stead converting to reduce the deficit to 38-6.
Two tries in seven minutes before the hour mark put Widnes in firm control and surely confirmed their place in the last four as Gilmore and Craven crossed with both successfully converted by Owens to bring up the 50 point mark at 50-6.
Gilmore rounded off the scoring by completing his hat-trick in the 69th minute with Owens converting for a fifth time to secure a semi-final place with a 56-6 win which was a correct result for me and close with a prediction of 52-10.
Rhinos Late Show Downs Centurions
Despite being a division apart when they met on Friday night, Leeds and Leigh faced off in a stunning 80 minutes that left the neutrals purring at what Leigh could become when Super League beckons.
Leeds went in front after only six minutes when Hall crossed and Sinfield converted for a 6-0 lead but what came next stunned the Leeds faithful as Leigh not only levelled but went in front, Spencer crossed for the Centurions first try and Ridyard converted for 6-6 but four minutes later, Armstrong scored in the corner and Ridyard converted again for a 6-12 lead.
Leeds levelled just after the half-hour mark with a try from Stevie Ward with Sinfield converting for 12-12 meaning the sides were level at the interval. Three minutes into the second half, a huge scuffle between Leeds' Peacock and Leigh's Sarsfield with both being sin-binned.
The sides remained level until seven minutes from the end as after a missed drop goal opportunity for Leigh, Leeds went down the other end and scored through Robbie Ward with Sinfield converting for a 18-12 lead which he extended to 19-12 with a drop goal three minutes later.
Leigh's dream of a last four place ended with two minutes to go when Hardaker crossed for the hosts and Sinfield converted for 25-12 but the whole crowd applauded the Leigh players for taking Leeds right to the wire, something many Super League sides have failed to do this season. A correct result and not too far off with the prediction of 36-18.
Tigers End Warriors Run
In the tie of the round, Castleford travelled to face holders Wigan in the first part of a double header in league and cup.
Castleford seemed to have taken the lead after 14 minutes only to be denied by a review with a further effort in the 28th minute chalked off before they did finally go in front with a try from Clare with Sneyd converting for a 0-6 lead
However, the visitors did break the deadlock three minutes later through Clare's whose effort was awarded after a review and was followed by a touchline conversion from Sneyd for a 0-6 lead which accompanied by superb defending against the Wigan attack lasted into the interval.
Wigan came achingly close to levelling just three minutes into the second half after a stunning set saw them just metres from the Tigers line only for Burgess to knock on with the line in clear sight, Wigan's next set saw four attacks within 10m of the line but with no end product.
Castleford piled the pressure on the hosts by forcing a goal-line dropout in the 53rd minute but failed to take advantage with Wigan responding well with two good efforts, O'Loughlin and Gelling both going close before finally breaking through via Farrell to the joy of the home crowd but Smith's missed conversion left them 4-6 behind.
The visitors quelled the Warriors' response with a fine try from Dixon in the corner after a combination of passes left Wigan open out wide, Sneyd failed to meaning a lead at 4-10 and with just over nine minutes to go, Wigan's hold on the trophy was starting to slip.
Castleford sealed their passage into the last four, ending Wigan's hopes of retaining the trophy and their illusive 28-year unbeaten home record as a superb set of passes saw Jewitt cross for the try and when Sneyd converted for 4-16, their place in the last four was confirmed. An incorrect result meaning a failed prediction of 31-30.
Wolves Overpower Bulls
The final tie of the round saw Bradford host Warrington with the Bulls looking for a mini-double over the Wolves but were outclassed by a strong Warrington side on Sunday.
After a mixed start for both sides, Warrington went in front in the 15th minute with a try from Myler with Bridge converting for 6-0 before Bradford replied four minutes later through Kear but Gale's failed conversion left them 4-6 behind.
Warrington increased the lead in style with two scores in four minutes from Atkins and Russell with both converted by Bridge for a 4-18 lead which lasted into the interval. Bradford needed to score first to unhinge the Wolves charge and did so when George raced clear to cross for a try and Gale converted for 10-18.
However, Warrington regained their 14 point lead when Ormsby crossed and Bridge converted for 10-24 before the game ended as a contest when two tries in as many minutes from Myler and Joel Monaghan with Bridge converting both for a 10-36 lead.
Warrington reached 40 points with Monaghan's second try and a score from Currie in the final ten minutes with Bridge converting the first before missing for the first time all afternoon for a final score of 10-46. A correct result but slightly off with the prediction of 20-32.
Vikings Slay CougarsThursday night saw Championship side Keighley travel to face Super League side Widnes and the visitors were dealt an early blow to their already huge task as they went 22-0 down inside 16 minutes as the Vikings ran in tries from Hulme, Gilmore and a double from Brown with Tickle converting three after missing the first attempt.
Keighley improved in defence but left the door open twice in the space of five minutes as Owens and March crossed with Owens taking over the kicking duties and converting both for a 32-0 lead at the interval.
Isa extended the lead for the hosts in the first minute of the second half and with Owens converting for 38-0, a huge score looked likely but one of the biggest cheers of the evening came when Williams crossed for Keighley with Stead converting to reduce the deficit to 38-6.
Two tries in seven minutes before the hour mark put Widnes in firm control and surely confirmed their place in the last four as Gilmore and Craven crossed with both successfully converted by Owens to bring up the 50 point mark at 50-6.
Gilmore rounded off the scoring by completing his hat-trick in the 69th minute with Owens converting for a fifth time to secure a semi-final place with a 56-6 win which was a correct result for me and close with a prediction of 52-10.
Rhinos Late Show Downs CenturionsDespite being a division apart when they met on Friday night, Leeds and Leigh faced off in a stunning 80 minutes that left the neutrals purring at what Leigh could become when Super League beckons.
Leeds went in front after only six minutes when Hall crossed and Sinfield converted for a 6-0 lead but what came next stunned the Leeds faithful as Leigh not only levelled but went in front, Spencer crossed for the Centurions first try and Ridyard converted for 6-6 but four minutes later, Armstrong scored in the corner and Ridyard converted again for a 6-12 lead.
Leeds levelled just after the half-hour mark with a try from Stevie Ward with Sinfield converting for 12-12 meaning the sides were level at the interval. Three minutes into the second half, a huge scuffle between Leeds' Peacock and Leigh's Sarsfield with both being sin-binned.
The sides remained level until seven minutes from the end as after a missed drop goal opportunity for Leigh, Leeds went down the other end and scored through Robbie Ward with Sinfield converting for a 18-12 lead which he extended to 19-12 with a drop goal three minutes later.
Leigh's dream of a last four place ended with two minutes to go when Hardaker crossed for the hosts and Sinfield converted for 25-12 but the whole crowd applauded the Leigh players for taking Leeds right to the wire, something many Super League sides have failed to do this season. A correct result and not too far off with the prediction of 36-18.
In the tie of the round, Castleford travelled to face holders Wigan in the first part of a double header in league and cup.
Castleford seemed to have taken the lead after 14 minutes only to be denied by a review with a further effort in the 28th minute chalked off before they did finally go in front with a try from Clare with Sneyd converting for a 0-6 lead
However, the visitors did break the deadlock three minutes later through Clare's whose effort was awarded after a review and was followed by a touchline conversion from Sneyd for a 0-6 lead which accompanied by superb defending against the Wigan attack lasted into the interval.
Wigan came achingly close to levelling just three minutes into the second half after a stunning set saw them just metres from the Tigers line only for Burgess to knock on with the line in clear sight, Wigan's next set saw four attacks within 10m of the line but with no end product.
Castleford piled the pressure on the hosts by forcing a goal-line dropout in the 53rd minute but failed to take advantage with Wigan responding well with two good efforts, O'Loughlin and Gelling both going close before finally breaking through via Farrell to the joy of the home crowd but Smith's missed conversion left them 4-6 behind.
The visitors quelled the Warriors' response with a fine try from Dixon in the corner after a combination of passes left Wigan open out wide, Sneyd failed to meaning a lead at 4-10 and with just over nine minutes to go, Wigan's hold on the trophy was starting to slip.
Castleford sealed their passage into the last four, ending Wigan's hopes of retaining the trophy and their illusive 28-year unbeaten home record as a superb set of passes saw Jewitt cross for the try and when Sneyd converted for 4-16, their place in the last four was confirmed. An incorrect result meaning a failed prediction of 31-30.
Wolves Overpower BullsThe final tie of the round saw Bradford host Warrington with the Bulls looking for a mini-double over the Wolves but were outclassed by a strong Warrington side on Sunday.
After a mixed start for both sides, Warrington went in front in the 15th minute with a try from Myler with Bridge converting for 6-0 before Bradford replied four minutes later through Kear but Gale's failed conversion left them 4-6 behind.
Warrington increased the lead in style with two scores in four minutes from Atkins and Russell with both converted by Bridge for a 4-18 lead which lasted into the interval. Bradford needed to score first to unhinge the Wolves charge and did so when George raced clear to cross for a try and Gale converted for 10-18.
However, Warrington regained their 14 point lead when Ormsby crossed and Bridge converted for 10-24 before the game ended as a contest when two tries in as many minutes from Myler and Joel Monaghan with Bridge converting both for a 10-36 lead.
Warrington reached 40 points with Monaghan's second try and a score from Currie in the final ten minutes with Bridge converting the first before missing for the first time all afternoon for a final score of 10-46. A correct result but slightly off with the prediction of 20-32.
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