2019 Super League Round Four/Five Reviews

Round four opened at the AJ Bell Stadium as St Helens claimed a 26-4 win over Salford Red Devils. A Mark Percival try and Lachlan Coote conversion gave Saints a 6-0 lead after 20 minutes ahead of scores for Jonny Lomax and James Roby with Coote converting only the latter for a 16-0 half-time advantage.

Salford got on the board on 53 minutes as Derrell Olpherts extended his scoring streak in 2019 for 16-4. The visitors responded with a Regan Grace try four minutes later with Roby's second try on 75 minutes and a third Coote conversion rounding off the win.

Friday night saw Castleford Tigers continue their good start with a 32-16 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers. The hosts were stung by a 13th minute opener by Mose Masoe, Ryan Shaw converting for a 6-0 lead, Cas hit back through Jordan Rankin for 6-4 before going 10-6 in front with a Liam Watts try and Paul McShane conversion. The hosts went further ahead just before the interval with Greg Eden crossing for 14-6.

James Clare continued the Tigers streak four minutes after the break, Rankin kicking for 20-6 before a second try for Masoe and Shaw conversion cut the gap to 20-12. The Tigers resumed control a second Eden score and try for ex-Robin Chris Clarkson, Rankin improving both with the boot for 32-12. The final say on the scoreline came two minutes from the end as Chris Atkin touched down for 32-16.

Another all-Yorkshire battle on Friday saw Leeds Rhinos mixed start continue as they lost 35-18 to Wakefield Trinity.  The Rhinos did open the scoring inside three minutes through Ash Handley before a stunning 11-minute hat-trick from Tom Johnstone saw Danny Brough convert twice for a 16-4 lead.

Leeds replied with Tom Briscoe crossing and Tui Lolohea converting for 16-10 but Trinity took just five minutes to regain a two-score lead as Kyle Wood went in and Brough converted for 22-10. Brough extended the advantage just after the interval with a penalty goal for 24-10, Jacob Miller crossed to make it 28-10 before a Brough drop goal and self-converted try in a four minute period looked to seal the win at 35-10. Leeds had a late rally though with both Handley and Briscoe completing braces in the final five minutes for 35-18.

A tight game at the Stade Gilbert Brutus on Saturday as Catalans Dragons edged a 23-22 win over Warrington Wolves. The Dragons raced out of the block as Brayden Williame crossed inside two minutes ahead of a Kenny Edwards try, Sam Tomkins converting both for 12-0 before adding a penalty goal for 14-0. Warrington replied with a self-converted try from Stefan Ratchford before Tony Gigot swept over a drop goal for the hosts for 15-6 into half-time. The Wolves turned the game around before the hour with scores from Daryl Clark and Ryan Atkins coupled with a Ratchford conversion for 16-15. Remi Casty touched down (Tomkins conv) to restore the lead but just five minutes later, Warrington went back in front, Dec Patton (Ratchford conv) crossing for 22-21. The Wolves looked set to continue their perfect start to the season but were denied the victory five minutes from the end, Tomkins sweeping over a crucial penalty goal for 23-22.

Huddersfield Giants still search for their first win of the season after a 28-8 loss to Hull FC. FC struck first with Joe Westerman crossing in the 15th minute, Marc Sneyd converting for 6-0 before Darnell McIntosh replied for the Giants with Olly Russell levelling with the conversion before kicking a penalty goal for an 8-6 advantage which lasted until five minutes after half-time when Westerman scored his second try and Sneyd kicked FC into a 12-8 lead that was rapidly increased to 16-6 by Ratu Naulago's try. The win was sealed for the visitors by a Josh Griffin brace which saw Sneyd converting both for 28-8.

The final game of the round was one I attended as London Broncos claimed a shock 18-16 win over Wigan Warriors. The Warriors opened the scoring with tries from Liam Paisley and Willie Isa with Zak Hardaker converting once for 10-0. London battled back with scores from Eddie Battye and Matt Gee with Kieran Dixon converting both for a 12-10 lead into the interval.

Dixon crossed for a self-converted try four minutes after the interval before kicking a penalty goal for 18-10. The Warriors cut the gap to 18-16 as ex-Bronco forward Tony Clubb touched down with Hardaker converting but to no avail as London triumphed.

Round five began with Warrington Wolves claiming a 24-10 win over Castleford Tigers on Thursday night. Greg Eden gave the Tigers an eighth minute lead at 4-0 before a seven minute brace from Jake Mamo saw Stefan Ratchford convert the latter for 10-4. Jack Hughes crossed just before the interval with Ratchford kicking for a 16-4 half-time advantage. Ratchford extended the lead to 18-4 with a penalty goal before improving Ben Murdoch-Masila's 50th minute try for 24-4. The Tigers had the final say on the scoreline on the hour mark as Greg Minikin touched down with Jordan Rankin converting for 24-10.

Friday night saw attendance as Huddersfield Giants ended their losing streak with a 14-6 win over Wigan Warriors. The Warriors who successfully appealed their points deduction in midweek fell behind early on as Kruise Leeming went over inside 12 minutes with Lee Gaskell converting for 6-0. The narrow lead lasted past the interval until Morgan Escaré raced over for the hosts with Zak Hardaker kicking Wigan level. Gaskell restored the Giants' lead on the hour with the boot before Joe Wardle crossed for a 65th minute try which Gaskell improved for 14-6.

Leeds Rhinos mixed start to the season continued as they blew a 10-0 lead to lose 34-10 at Hull FC. The Rhinos raced into the aforementioned lead inside nine minutes as Harry Newman and Tom Briscoe crossed with Tui Lolohea converting just the former. FC hit back through Ratu Naulago and Masimbaashe Matongo with Marc Sneyd converting twice for a 12-10 lead that swiftly became 30-10 as Sneyd crossed ahead of Jamie Shaul and Albert Kelly and converted the lot.

The second half proved to be quieter with just one score registered on the board, Dean Hadley crossing for FC to complete the rout and after 13 games without a win extend FC's current streak of three in a row.

St Helens continued their 100% start with a comfortable 26-0 success over London Broncos. Saints flew out of the blocks with Dom Peyroux touching down in the first minute, Lachlan Coote converting for 6-0. Regan Grace and Theo Fages both crossed either side of the half hour mark with Coote converting the latter for 16-0. Coote claimed a try of his own after the hour and converted for 22-0 before Kevin Naiqama completed the rout in the final minutes.

Saturday afternoon saw a huge shock at Stade Gilbert Brutus as Catalans Dragons suffered a 46-0 demolition by Salford Red Devils. The visitors struck the opening score inside eight minutes through Joey Lussick with Ken Sio converting for 6-0. The lead remained at a converted try until 28 minutes when Sio kicked a penalty goal for 8-0. A frantic final four minutes of the first half saw Salford cross twice with George Griffin and Jake Bibby touching down, Sio converting just the former for 18-0. A rapid start to the second half saw Bibby and Griffin complete braces inside six minutes with Sio's kicking making it 30-0. Jackson Hastings and Niall Evalds piled punishment on the Dragons before the hour with Sio rounding off the rout with a self-converted try late on.

A close game ended the round on Sunday as Hull Kingston Rovers edged a 10-6 win at Wakefield Trinity. A first half without a try saw Danny Brough and Craig Hall exchange penalty goals for a 2-2 half-time score. Further penalty goals either side of the hour saw Brough successful ahead of Hall for 4-4. A third Brough penalty goal edged Trinity ahead on 70 minutes before the first and last try of the afternoon came on 74 minutes as Danny McGuire went over with Hall converting for 10-6.