2019 Super League Round 12 Review

Round 12 saw a full schedule on Easter Monday which began with a close contest as Huddersfield Giants edged a 24-19 win over London Broncos.  The Broncos struck first with Jay Pitts crossing inside six minutes, Kieran Dixon converted before adding a penalty for 8-0. Hudds replied with Alex Mellor and Scott Grix registering tries which Oliver Russell converted for 12-8.

London regained the lead after the interval through Rhys Williams long range try with Dixon converting for 14-12 but Hudds hit back again with Jermaine McGillvary crossing and Russell kicking for 18-14. The sides were level just after the hour with Ryan Morgan crossing for 18-18 before a Morgan Smith drop goal looked to have sealed a 19-18 win for London on 73 minutes. Hudds looked to be setting up for a drop goal late on to level but clever passing saw McGillvary cross for his second try and Russell kick for a 24-19 win.

After a humbling in the City derby, Hull Kingston Rovers capped off a miserable Easter with a 54-6 loss to Warrington Wolves. Rovers actually struck the opening score with Ben Crooks touching down and Craig Hall converting for 6-0 inside 10 minutes before the Wolves replied with tries from Blake Austin and Tom Lineham, Stefan Ratchford converting both for 12-6 before improving Joe Philbin's effort for 18-6 into the interval.

The lead became 30-6 within six minutes of the restart as Josh Charnley and Bryson Goodwin crossed with Ratchford converting both. Rovers kept the Wolves out for the next quarter before a barrage of scores saw Toby King and Sitaleki Akauola touch down either side of second tries for Philbin and Lineham, Ratchford converted the lot to end with a perfect record from nine attempts as the Wolves celebrated the 54-6 success.

Wigan Warriors bounced back from the Good Friday derby defeat with a last-gasp 30-26 win over Salford Red Devils. The Warriors raced into a 14-0 lead thanks to Joe's Burgess and Bullock with Zak Hardaker converting both before adding a penalty goal. Salford replied with a George Griffin try which Krisnan Inu converted for a 14-6 score into the interval.

The hosts comeback continued after the break with Niall Evalds and Adam Walker going over either side of a Joe Greenwood try, Inu and Hardaker converting the lot as Wigan led 20-18. Salford completed the comeback on 64 minutes as Joey Lussick went over and Inu converted before adding a penalty goal four minutes later for a 26-20 lead. Wigan cut the gap to 26-24 with Greenwood's second score before a Hardaker raced over with two minutes to go and converted to seal a 30-26 win.

Both on a high from Friday's derby wins, St Helens and Hull FC faced off with the hosts stormed to a 62-12 victory. FC raced out of the blocks with Joe Westerman and Carlos Tuimavave crossing with Marc Sneyd converting once for 10-0. Saints' reply came in the form of a Jonny Lomax brace and tries from Kevin Naiqama and Adam Swift with Lachlan Coote converting the lot for 24-10.

Coote increased the lead further with a self-converted try for 30-10 into the interval before Jez Litten's 47th minute try was converted by Sneyd for 30-16. Saints regained control on the scoring front with Swift completing his hat-trick on the hour before a second Naiqama try and Jack Welsby effort saw Coote improve three for 52-16. The gloss on a superb afternoon for the hosts came in the final five minutes as Naiqama completed  his hat-trick and added another score which saw Danny Richardson convert to round off a 62-16 rout.

The sole derby of the afternoon saw Wakefield Trinity edge past their Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos, winning 26-24. A perfect start for debutant Lee Kershaw saw him race over for Trinity inside ten minutes with Ryan Hampshire converting for 6-0, Reece Lyne (Hampshire conv) increased the lead to 12-0 before Leeds hit back with a self-converted Liam Sutcliffe try and Brett Ferres effort (Sutcliffe conv) to level at 12 all.

A brace of penalty goals from Hampshire restored Trinity's lead five minutes after the interval at 16-12 before ex-Rhinos winger Ben Jones-Bishop and Max Jowitt crossed with Hampshire kicking for a 26-12 lead on the hour mark. Leeds fought back with tries from Matt Parcell and a last-gasp Tui Lolohea effort with Sutcliffe converting both as the Rhinos lost out 26-24.

The round ended with in the early evening with Catalans Dragons completing a perfect Easter double with a 37-16 win over Castleford Tigers. The Dragons struck early on through Julian Bousquet with Sam Tomkins converting for 6-0 before he improved a Tony Gigot score and added a penalty goal for 14-0.

Cas cut the gap before the interval to 14-4 as Greg Eden went over on the wing but just nine minutes after the restart, Catalans were back on the board as Bird flew in and Tomkins converted for 20-4. Gigot added a drop goal for 21-4 on 58 minutes before Tomkins converted a second Bousquet try for 27-4 on the hour. Cas stemmed the Dragons' spree with a second score from Eden and Cory Aston try, Peter Mata'utia converting both for 27-16. The Dragons wrapped up the win with late scores from Matt Whitley and Tomkins who converted both for 37-16.