Super League Round 14 Review

Ahead of the annual festival that is Magic Weekend, Super League round 14 saw a number of surprise results as the season continued its streak of unpredictability.

Classy Cas Crush Lacklustre Leeds

Thursday's round opener saw basement boys Leeds Rhinos host Yorkshire rivals Castleford Tigers at Headingley. The Rhinos made the better start by taking the lead inside five minutes through Mitch Garbutt with Jordan Lilley converting for a 6-0 lead which lasted just four minutes before a Luke Dorn try and Luke Gale conversion levelled the game. Denny Solomona  put the Tigers ahead before a quick double from Dorn increased the lead to 6-24. The Rhinos looked out of the contest before the interval and fell further behind as Joel Monaghan crossed for 6-30.

The Tigers looked to have sealed the win within six minutes of the restart as Solomona struck a second score ahead of a Gadwin Springer effort for a huge 6-40 advantage. Ash Handley stemmed the Tigers spree with a great try on 52 minutes for 12-40 but a Ben Crooks try and a late effort from Grant Millington wrapped up a comfortable 12-52 win for the Tigers who became the first team to put 50 past the Rhinos since 2012. 

Fabulous FC Floor Warriors

Friday's televised game came from the DW Stadium as Wigan Warriors hosted Hull FC as fourth faced third. The visitors started superbly as Marc Sneyd crossed for a try which he improved for 0-6 inside three minutes. Steve Michaels and Scott Taylor increased the lead to 0-16 before Sneyd added a penalty goal for 0-18 in the 25th minute. Wigan fought back with a try from Oliver Gildart but with no conversion, the score was 4-18 into the interval.

John Bateman cut the gap with Matty Smith converting before a try on his second debut for the Warriors from Sam Tomkins narrowed Hull's lead to just two points at 16-18. Tomkins was at fault though as he was bypassed by Jamie Shaul seven minutes later who crossed for 16-24 before a try from Fetuli Talanoa and a penalty goal from Sneyd wrapped up a 16-30 success.  

Saints Stop Salford

Friday night also saw action at Langtree Park as St Helens hosted Salford Red Devils with the Saints looking to move into the top four with a win. They fell behind after just six minutes via a Niall Evalds try but were soon ahead as Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook crossed with Luke Walsh converting for 6-4. Further efforts from Marc Percival and Dominique Peyroux pushed the hosts' advantage to 16-4 before a second score from Evalds meant the sides went into the break at 16-8.

Jonny Lomax pushed the Saints to 22-8 within eight minutes of the restart with Salford hitting back through Justin Carney before Evalds completed his hat-trick for 22-20. However, the two point gap was a as close as it got for the visitors as tries from Theo Fages and Kyle Amor crossed to seal a 34-20 win for the Saints. 

Dragons Deny Giants

Saturday afternoon saw Catalan Dragons host Huddersfield Giants at the Stade Gilbert Brutus with the Dragons having the chance to go level at the top with a win. A cagey first 20-odd minutes saw the sides remain level at 0-0 before a Danny Brough penalty goal and try from Nathan Mason opened up an 0-8 lead for the Giants. Catalan battled back with an effort from Louis Anderson for an 6-8 half-time scoreline. 

Justin Horo put the hosts 10-8 ahead before Tony Gigot extended the lead to 16-8 just before the hour mark. Jake Connor narrowed the gap to 16-14 with a try on 64 minutes but to no avail as the Dragons edged the win. 

Robins Rally Vanquishes Vikings 

Sunday afternoon saw the Hull Kingston Rovers host Widnes Vikings at the KC Lightstream Stadium with both sides looking to boost their recent mixed form. Shaun Lunt opened up an early lead for the Robins in just the fourth minute and the 6-0 scoreline remained into the half-time interval.

Ken Sio crossed to extend the lead just two minutes after the restart before a try from Gil Dudson narrowed the gap to 12-6. James Greenwood restored the 12 point lead for the Robins just after the hour mark but the Vikings remained in the hunt with a Corey Thompson score for 18-10. The win was sealed for the hosts eight minutes from the end as Albert Kelly crossed for a 24-10 victory.

Wildcats Win As Wolves Wander

The final action of the round saw Wakefield Wildcats host league leaders Warrington Wolves at Belle Vue with the Wildcats hoping to secure a surprise victory. They started such a pursuit in stunning style by racing into a 12-0 lead inside six minutes with tries from Craig Hall and Matt Ashurst. Warrington hit back through Joe Westerman before a second try from Hall and one from Tom Johnstone gave the hosts a 24-6 lead at the interval.

Ashurst got his second try within three minutes of the restart for 30-6 before the Wolves mounted a comeback with tries from Daryl Clark, Kurt Gidley and Matty Russell to narrow the deficit to 30-22. Liam Finn kicked a penalty for the Wildcats for 32-22 before a second score from Westerman made it a close game at 32-28 with just ten minutes left. The win was sealed with two minutes left on the clock as Ben Jones-Bishop crossed to seal a famous 36-28 success.

Challenge Cup Sixth Round Review

After an exciting competition so far which has seen some shock results, the Challenge Cup sixth round saw the influx of Super League's top eight sides who would have to be wary of the lower league sides who eyed further scalps.

Dragons Demolish Battling Bulldogs

The round opened on Friday night with televised action at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium, Championship side Batley Bulldogs hosted Super League high-fliers Catalan Dragons hoping to stage a shock win. However, the hosts' hopes were dented early on as Fouad Yaha crossed for the opening try on five minutes with Pat Richards converting for 6-0. Vincent Duport extended the lead on 24 minutes with Richards improving for 12-0, the Bulldogs did very well to keep the score to just 12-0 in a battling first 40 minutes. 

The Dragons took full control of the game as Duport and Richie Myler both crossed within six minutes of the restart with Richards converting just the former for 22-0 before tries from Dave Taylor and Tony Gigot (Richards conv) ahead of the hour pushed the advantage to 34-0. Batley avoided a nilling as Alex Brown crossed to put them on the board at 34-4 but it was to be only a consolation as Gigot claimed his second ten minutes from he end with Richards converting to confirm a 40-4 success.

Giants Glory As Rhinos Run Ends

Friday's non-televised action came from the John Smith's Stadium as Huddersfield Giants hosted fierce rivals and holders Leeds Rhinos for the second time in the space of a week after the Giants secured a win in the league. Leeds made a perfect start with Jimmy Keinhorst crossing in the opening minute with Jordan Lilley converting for 6-0. Ukuma Ta'ai and Jermaine McGillvary crossed for the hosts to turn the game around with Danny Brough converting both for 12-6. Ryan Brierley (Brough conv) extended the lead just before half-time before a Jake Connor drop goal made it 19-6 into the interval.

Liam Sutcliffe (Lilley conv) crossed to cut the gap for Leeds for 19-12 but Kyle Wood (Brough conv) pushed the score to 25-12 before a second effort from Keinhorst kept Leeds in the hunt at 25-16 before the game became 'The Brough Show' as the Giants captain scored a penalty goal, self-converted try and two drop goals in a 16 minute period to make it 35-16. Anthony Mullally (Lilley conv) cut the gap for the Rhinos before Brough swept over a third drop goal to wrap up a 36-22 victory

Classy Cas Stop Salford

Saturday's televised action came from the Mend-A-Hose Jungle as Castleford Tigers hosted Salford Red Devils. The visitors opened the scoring through Junior Sau inside nine minutes with Gareth O'Brien converting for 0-6 before Mike McMeeken replied for the hosts with Paul McShane converting for 6-6. Sau crossed for a second time just before the half hour mark with O'Brien kicking for 6-12 but a tries from Jake Webster and McMeeken saw McShane convert for an 18-12 half-time advantage. 

Denny Solomona increased the lead within a minute of the restart before Robert Lui (O'Brien conv) kept the visitors in the hunt at 22-18. McShane crossed for a a try of his own which he converted for 28-18 before Solomona sealed the win with his second try for a 32-18 final score. 

Wonderful Wolves Rout Roughyeds

Saturday's other action saw Championship side Oldham Roughyeds host Super League leaders Warrington Wolves. The hosts made a great start to a potential shock win as Michael Ward crossed inside seven minutes with Lewis Palfrey converting for 6-0 before Chris Hill replied for the visitors with Kurt Gidley converting for 6-6. Warrington took control with tries from Ben Jullien, Ben Currie and Rhys Evans in the last ten minutes of the first half with Gidley converting twice for a 6-22 lead at the interval.

George King posted a six minute hat-trick ahead of an effort from Tom Lineham within ten minutes of the restart with Gidley converting twice for a huge 6-42 lead. The hosts were out of the contest just after the hour mark as Gene Ormsby crossed either side of a second score from Currie with extras from Stefan Ratchford and Gidley for 6-58. A debut try from Morgan Smith and a second from Jullien saw Ratchford convert for 6-70. Oldham did have the last say as Gareth Owen crossed for 10-70.

Wondrous Wigan Down Dewsbury

Sunday afternoon saw Stadium Travels visit The Tetley's Stadium as Championship side Dewsbury Rams hosted Wigan Warriors hoping to avenge their heavy defeat from two seasons ago. The Warriors raced into a 12-0 lead inside ten minutes as Josh Charnley crossed either side of a try from George Williams. Oliver Gildart and Dan Sarginson (Charnley convs) extended the lead to 0-24 before Paul Sykes got the Rams on the board at 4-24. A brace from John Bateman (Charnley convs ) set up a strong 4-36 lead at the interval.

Wigan resumed their control on the game with two scores in the first four minutes of the second half as Ryan Sutton crossed ahead of a second from Gildart with Charnley's conversions making it 4-48. Lewis Tierney got in on the act on 54 minutes but with Charnley's conversion making it 4-54, Dewsbury did well to prevent any further scores as they ended the game losing just 0-18 in the second half. 

Valiant Vikings Hold Off Halifax

The second of Sunday's Championship v Super League battles came from The Shay as Halifax hosted Widnes Vikings with the hosts hoping to better last season's narrow loss in the Middle 8s. Widnes struck first as Aaron Heremaia crossed inside four minutes with Hanbury converting for 0-6 before James Saltonstall replied with Steve Tyrer converting for 6-6. Lloyd Whire and Chris Houston's efforts put the visitors in control with Hanbury kicking both for 6-18 ahead of a late first half effort from Adam Robinson which Tyrer converted for 12-18.

The hosts drew level within six minutes of the restart as Miles Greenwood crossed with Tyrer converting for 18-18. Charly Runciman regained the lead for the Vikings at 18-22 before a late try from James Chapelhow saw Hanbury seal an 18-28 win with the resulting conversion.

Wildcats Win As Toulouse Tumble

The only non Championship/Super League meeting of the round saw Wakefield Wildcats hosting League One side Toulouse. The Wildcats stormed into a 22-0 lead inside the first 15 minutes with a brace from Tom Johnstone sandwiching efforts from Jacob Miller and Craig Hall with Liam Finn converting all but the opening try. The visitors got on the board on 27 minutes as Gavin Marguerite crossed for 22-4 ahead on an effort from Murrad Kriouache which was converted by Mark Kheierallah for 22-10.

Matt Ashurst crossed for the first try of the second half with Finn converting for 28-10 before a double from the French side in the space of five minutes kept them in the contest. Declan Hulme and Kuni Minga crossed with Kheirallah converting both for 28-22 with 12 minutes left. However, the Wildcats survived the comeback and sealed a place in the last eight with two further scores from Johnstone which Finn converted for a 40-22 triumph.

Fabulous FC Smash Saints

The final action of the round was the televised tie at Langtree Park between St Helens and Hull FC. The hosts struck first with a try from Marc Percival which Luke Walsh converted for 6-6 ahead of a reply from Danny Houghton with Marc Sneyd converting for 6-6. Tries from Scott Taylor and Gareth Ellis (Sneyd convs) saw the visitors take a 6-18 lead before Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook (Walsh conv) replied for Saints at 12-18. Hull ensured a three score lead at the interval as Jamie Shaul crossed with Sneyd converting before sweeping over a drop goal for 12-25.

A self-converted try from Walsh within five minutes of the restart made it 18-25 but from there, Hull took full control as Curtis Naughton and Kirk Yeaman crossed either side of a Sneyd penalty for 18-37. The win was wrapped up by two tries in the final ten minutes as Taylor claimed his second ahead of an effort from Fetuli Talanoa with Sneyd converting just the former in a huge 18-47 rout.

Super League Round 13 Review

The midway point of the regular season passed with this week's action marking round 13 of Super League with the six games including first against third and fourth against second with a Yorkshire derby at the bottom of the standings.

Wonderful Wolves Waste Weakened Warriors

The round opened at the Halliwell Jones Stadium which I attended for Stadium Travels as Warrington Wolves hosted Wigan Warriors with the hosts looking to open up a two point gap at the top by doubling the Warriors. Wigan struck the opening try with Josh Charnley crossing in the 17th minute for 4-0 but from there it was to be a master-class from the Wolves with Daryl Clark, Ben Westwood and Kevin Penny all crossing before half-time with Kurt Gidley converting the lot for an 18-4 lead. 

A brace from Ryan Atkins (Gidley convs) saw the lead extended to 28-4 before the hour mark leaving Wigan with a huge task to avoid a heavy defeat never mind trying to mount a comeback but any hopes were quickly erased as Benjamin Jullien crossed and Gidley converted for 34-4. John Bateman went over for Wigan to end the Wolves' spree with Matty Smith pushing the Warriors to 34-10 but the last say went to the hosts as Westwood struck a second try with Stefan Ratchford converting for a 40-10 triumph. 

Giants Glory As Leeds Lose

Friday's televised action saw a Yorkshire derby at the bottom of the table as Huddersfield Giants hosted neighbours Leeds Rhinos looking to move off the bottom with a win. The Giants made the first mark on the game as Ukuma Ta'ai crossed to make it 4-0 inside four minutes before a self-converted try from Jordan Lilley made it 6-4 to the Rhinos before Lilley added a penalty goal to set up an 8-4 lead at half-time. 

Gene Ormsby marked his final game on loan with a try on 44 minutes which Danny Brough converted for 10-8 before Josh Walters opened his account for the season with Lilley converting for 14-10. Jermaine McGillvary and Rob Burrow exchanges tries with Brough and Lilley converting for 20-16 to the Rhinos but the Giants were not to be outdone as Jake Connor (Brough conv) crossed for 22-20 before a last-gasp effort from Eorl Crabtree saw Brough convert to confirm a 28-20 success. 

Hull FC Hold On To Deny Dragons

The second top four battle of the round saw Hull FC host Catalan Dragons at the KCOM Stadium with the Dragons looking to secure an eighth consecutive win. Their hopes were dented in the first ten minutes as FC opened up a 12-0 lead with tries from Fetuli Talanoa and Curtis Naughton with Marc Sneyd converting both. Louis Anderson replied for the Dragons with Pat Richards converting for 12-6 before Sika Manu crossed and Sneyd converted before adding a penalty for 22-4. 

Richards crossed twice but was unable to convert as the hosts' lead was cut to 20-14 at the interval but a Scott Taylor try (Sneyd conv) pushed the lead to 26-14 before Jason Baitieri crossed with Richards converting for 26-20. Sneyd converted another penalty for 28-20 but the game was far from settled as Eloi Pelissier crossed with eight minutes left with Richards' conversion making it 28-26 but FC were able to hold on and thereby end the Dragons' winning streak. 

Vikings Vanquished As Wildcats Win

Friday's trio of games ended with Widnes Vikings hosting Wakefield Wildcats at the Select Security Stadium with both looking to move up the table with a win. A tight first half was more dominated by cards than points with Scott Moore and Aaron Heremaia sent off but the Wildcats did get off the mark on 35 minutes as Anthony Tupou crossed with Liam Finn converting for 6-0 before Finn added a penalty goal for an 8-0 half-time lead. 

Charly Runciman got Widnes on the board withing four minutes of the restart for 8-4 before Finn added another penalty for 10-4 but Widnes hit back again as Eamon O'Carroll scored with Rhys Hanbury converting to level at 10-10. Finn added another penalty to put the visitors 12-10 ahead before a self converted try from Hanbury saw Widnes lead for  the first time at 16-12 but the Wildcats were not to be denied as Craig Hall crossed two minutes from the end with Finn converting to seal an 18-16 win. 

Super Salford Rout Robins

Saturday afternoon saw Salford Red Devils hosting Hull Kingston Rovers with the hosts looking to bounce back from their points deduction earlier in the week which saw them lose six points for a salary cap breach. Junior Sau and Robert Lui got the hosts off to a superb start with Michael Dobson converting the latter for a 10-0 lead. Niall Evalds (Gareth O'Brien conv) extended the lead to 16-0 before a try from Maurice Blair saw Ken Sio convert for 16-6. 

Josh Griffin (Dobson conv) and Josh Jones (O'Brien conv) crossed to give the hosts a 28-6 lead at the interval which was dented on 48 minutes by Iain Thornley's effort which Sio converted for 28-12 before Sau's second made it 32-12. Sio crossed for the Robins with Blair converting for 32-18 before a Thomas Minns brace sandwiched Sau sealing his hat-trick with O'Brien converting for 38-26. The result was sealed as Lui claimed his second try with O'Brien confirming a 44-26 triumph. 

Tigers Toil As Saints Succeed

The final game of the round came on Sunday as Castleford Tigers hosted St Helens at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle with both sides looking to move up the table. The Tigers opened the scoring on 11 minutes as Joel Monaghan touched down with Luke Gale converting for a 6-0 lead which was cancelled out just six minutes later by Joe Greenwood's try and Luke Walsh's conversion for 6-6. 

Denny Solomona pushed the hosts into a 10-6 lead with a 27th minute try with Shannon McDonnell (Walsh conv) crossing just three minutes after half-time for 12-10 before Mike McMeeken (Gale conv) restored the lead for Cas at 16-12. Jy Hitchcox extended the lead to 20-12 on 51 minutes but from there, the Tigers were hit by a Saints comeback as Kyle Amor crossed before Greenwood scored his second and Jonny Lomax crossed late on with Walsh converting the lot for a 30-20 win.

Super League Round 12 Review

Due to computing problems over the last couple of weeks, the reviews have been a bit mixed in terms of content but despite the delay in this rounds review, full coverage of round 12 is below.

Warriors Win Guts Giants

The round opened on Thursday night at the DW Stadium as Wigan Warriors hosted Huddersfield Giants with the Warriors eyeing top spot and the Giants hoping to close on the top eight. A rapid start from the hosts saw Anthony Gelling cross for the opening try on five minutes with Matty Smith converting for a 6-0 lead. Ryan Brierley opened his account for the Giants just seven minutes later with Danny Brough levelling with the conversion. 

Brierley crossed for a second time five minutes before the interval and Brough converted for a 12-6 lead at half-time but John Bateman (Smith conv) crossed just before the hour mark to level before a quick reply from Brierley saw him complete his hat-trick with Brough converting for 18-12. Smith took control of the game with a self-converted try and drop goal for 19-18 before Brough levelled with the boot at 19-19. The game was to be won in the last two minutes as Smith swept over a second drop goal for 20-19 before converting a last-gasp try from Dan Sarginson for a 26-19 success.

Vikings Vanquished By Wondrous Wolves

Friday's non televied action came from the Select Security Stadium as Widnes Vikings hosted neighbours Warrington Wolves looking to avenge the defeat in their last meeting. However, Warrington started superbly by racing into a 12-0 lead with early scores from Kurt Gidley and Kevin Penny with Gidley converting both tries. Widnes replied through Joe Mellor with Rhys Hanbury converting for 12-6 but Joe Westerman (Gidley conv) restored the 12 point advantage,

A try from Ben Westwood and a second from Westerman were both converted by Gidley for a 30-6 lead at the interval. Corey Thompson made it 30-12 before a second score from Penny and a try from Stefan Ratchford (Gidley convs) made it 42-12. Widnes cut the gap again through Stefan Marsh (Hanbury conv) before a self-converted second try from Ratchford sealed a comfortable 48-16 victory.  

Super Saints Edge Rueful Rhinos

Friday's televised action came from Langtree Park as St Helens hosted fierce rivals Leeds Rhinos with both sides hoping to boost their mixed seasons so far. A superb start for the hosts saw Jonny Lomax mark his return from a year on the sidelines with the opening try inside five minutes with Walsh converting for 6-0. Joe Greenwood extended the lead to 10-0 within two minutes before Leeds took control with tries from Ash Golding, Rob Burrow and Jimmy Keinhorst with Jordan Lilley converting twice for a 16-10 lead.

Lomax scored his second try just before the interval with Walsh making it 16-16 into half-time before Kyle Amor put Saints 20-16 ahead. The game turned into a 'you score, we score' as Ash Handley (Lilley conv) crossed ahead of a second score from Greenwood (Walsh conv) for 26-22. Theo Fages (Walsh convs) crossed twice either side of an effort from Anthony Mullally (Lilley conv) for a 38-28 lead before Keinhorst's second set up a tense finish at 38-34 but Saints just about managed to hold on for the win. 

Dragons Delight In Salford Success

Saturday's action came from the Stade Gilbert Brutus as Catalan Dragons hosted Salford Red Devils with the Dragons looking to secure a home/away double over the Red Devils. A frantic start saw Niall Evalds and Jodie Broughton exchange tries for 4-4 before Justin Carney crossed for 8-4 and Gareth O'Brien added a penalty goal for 10-4. Catalans levelled on 20 minutes with Morgan Escaré's try which Pat Richards converted before a try from Junior Sau and an effort from Vincent Duport (Richards conv) made it 16-14 at the interval. 

Sau claimed his second try within eight minutes of the restart for 20-16 before a double from Richie Myler and second effort from Broughton (Richards convs) made it 32-20 to the hosts.  Richards added a penalty goal for 34-20 before a hat-trick try for Sau and second score from Evalds saw Dobson and O'Brien conv to narrow the gap to 34-32. The game was won late on as Richards crossed with Thomas Bosc converting before a penalty goal from Richards wrapped up a 42-32 win. 

Wishful Wakefield Fall To Fabulous FC

Sunday saw two games starting with Wakefield Wildcats hosting Hull FCwith both looking to continue superb runs either side of the Easter period. The hosts struck first through Ash Gibson with Liam Finn converting ahead of a reply from Gareth Ellis with Marc Sneyd converting for 6-6. Hull took control with Fetuli Talanoa crossing twice either side of an effort from Josh Bowden with Sneyd converting the lot for 24-6.

Tom Johnstone cut the gap before two more scores from Gibson for his hat-trick with Finn converting the trio for 24-24 at the interval. Danny Kirmond put the hosts ahead within five minutes of the restart before a hat-trick try from Talanoa (Sneyd conv) made it 30-28 to FC. Kirk Yeaman extended the lead before Talanoa ran in a fourth try for 40-28. The win was wrapped up late on as Jamie Shaul (Sneyd conv) crossed to confirm a 46-28 win

Cas Crushed By Rampant Robins

The round ended at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle as Castleford Tigers hosted Hull Kingston Rovers with both sides looking to boost poor seasons so far. The Robins struck an instant opening as Maurice Blair crossed in the first minute with Ben Cockayne converting for 6-0 before Jake Webster replied and Luke Gale converted for 6-6. Ryan Hampshire put the Tigers ahead with Gale converting for 12-6 before a spree from the Robins saw Thomas Minns, Albert Kelly and Graeme Horne cross with Cockayne converting once for 20-12. 

Jy Hitchcox responded for the Tigers to make it 20-16 at the interval before a second from Minns came within two minutes of the restart with Cockayne converting before adding the extras to Iain Thornley's 52nd minute try for a 32-16 advantage. Mitch Allgood and Ken Sio crossed before Cockayne added a penalty goal for 42-16. The rout was extended in the final six minutes as Sio and Thornley crossed for their second scores either side of a hat-trick try from Minns with Cockayne ending the game with seven conversions in a 58-16 triumph.

Super League Round 11 Review

After the first two games of round 11 were played during the World Club Series, the remaining four took place while last season's bottom four sides joined the Challenge Cup as the 2015's top eight faced off this weekend.

Dragons Delight At Sluggish Saints

The round resumed on Thursday night at Langtree Park as St Helens hosted Catalan Dragons looking to move up the table by stemming the Dragons fine start to the season. However, Catalan raced into 10-0 lead inside 13 minutes as Jodie Brougton ran in a brace of tries with Pat Richards only converting the latter of the two. 

Saints replied through Theo Fages with Luke Walsh converting for 10-6 on 27 minutes before a first-half hat-trick for Broughton made it 14-6.

Walsh crossed for a try of his own in the final 

seconds of the half and converted to close the gap to 14-12 at the interval. A two-minute blitz from the Dragons saw Richie Myler and Pat Richards both cross for tries with Richards converting once to open up a 24-12 advantage within nine minutes of the restart. Broughton claimed his fourth try just after the hour mark for 28-12 before Richards rounded off the scoring with ten minutes left as he swept over a penalty goal to confirm a 30-12 success. 

Giants Glorify Against Worrying Wolves

Friday night saw a trilogy of action but I start with the tie between top and bottom in the league standings as Warrington Wolves travelled to face Huddersfield Giants at the John Smith's Stadium. A close game was not predicted by the so-called experts but even more so was not the fact that the sides were only separated by four points at half-time. 

Aaron Murphy opened the scoring in the 36th minute but Danny Brough was unable to convert leaving the score at 4-0 but he was the next to score as he added a penalty goal five minutes after the restart for 6-0 before adding a drop goal to open up a 7-0 lead over the league leaders with 15 minutes to go. 

The shock win was confirmed with ten minutes left of the 80 as Leroy Cudjoe crossed to seal an 11-0 win which gave the Giants only their second win of the season but one which saw the Wolves nilled for the first time this season. 

Rhinos Rising As Hull FC Halted

The televised action came from Headingley Carnegie as Leeds Rhinos hosted Hull FC with the Rhinos keen to boost their poor season by denting FC's winning run. The hosts struck the opening try after 17 minutes as Jimmy Keinhorst crossed with Jordan Lilley converting for 6-0. Chris Green replied for the visitors with Marc Sneyd levelling at 6-6 with the boot.

Lilley added a penalty to send the hosts into the interval leading 8-6 but a quick effort from Kirk Yeaman within three minutes of the restart saw Sneyd convert for a 12-8 lead which lasted until the hour mark when a self-converted effort from Lilley turned it around to 14-12. 

Jamie Jones-Buchanan extended the lead for the hosts with Lilley converting for 20-12 with seven minutes left and a self-converted try from Sneyd on 76 minutes made it 20-18 and set up a tight finish but the Rhinos managed to hold on for the win. 

Warriors Win Against Troublesome Tigers

The final game of Friday's trio saw Wigan Warriors host Castleford Tigers at the DW Stadium with the Warriors keen to bounce back from their first nilling in 11 years against Wakefield. The hosts fell behind early on as Denny Solomona crossed for the first try in the ninth minute which Luke Gale converted for 6-0. 

Wigan fought back with a try from Lewis Tierney within four minutes with Matty Smith levelling at 6-6 with the boot. The sides remained level until the interval after a close first half but a frantic two minutes saw both sides score starting with Smith's penalty goal making it 8-6 before a Grant Millington try (Gale conv) turned it around to 12-8 to the Tigers. 

John Bateman (Smith conv) crossed on the hour mark to regain the lead for the hosts before a first senior try for academy starlet Nick Gregson (Smith conv) extended the lead to 20-12 with nine minutes left. Wigan wrapped up the win in the final seconds as Bateman claimed his second score which Smith converted for a 26-12 success.

Super League Round Ten Review

After technical issues meant just an image-based post for round nine, round ten sees a return to the normal layout and a weekend not to forget certainly on a personal level.

Dragons Demolish Rattled Robins

The round began on Thursday night at the KC Lightstream Stadium as Hull Kingston Rovers hosted Catalans Dragons. The visitors have been known to struggle away from home in previous year but they looked to be on course to continue this season's superb run as they raced into a 10-0 lead inside five minutes. Jodie Broughton crossed in the first minute followed by Vincent Duport with Pat Richards converting just the latter.

Broughton struck for a second time on 22 minutes with Richards converting for 16-0 before adding the extras to Krisnan Inu's 28th minute score to make it 22-0. 

The game as a contest was all but over before half-time as Gregory Mounis crossed on 35 minutes with Richards kicking for a 28-0 half-time advantage. Any outside chance of the Robins mounting a comeback was quickly dashed as Richie Myler and Willie Mason crossed for tries inside the first 13 minutes of the second half with Richards converting both for 40-0 which proved to be enough to seal a comfortable win.  

Fabulous FC Gut Giants

Friday's non-televised action came from the KC Stadium as Hull FC hosted basement boys Huddersfield Giants with the Giants looking for only their second win of a horror campaign so far while FC were in the hunt for a fifth consecutive win. The hosts made a superb start with Josh Bowden crossing inside six minutes with Marc Sneyd converting for 6-0 only for Joe Wardle to cut the gap on 12 minutes with Danny Brough converting for 6-6.

Aaron Murphy (Brough conv) put the Giants ahead at 12-6 before a quick reply from Liam Watts (Sneyd conv) levelled at 12-12 and the 'you score, we score' continued in the 32nd and 34th minutes as Jamie Shaul (Sneyd conv) crossed ahead of a try from Brough leaving the hosts with an 18-16 lead into the interval. FC took control with efforts from Danny Houghton and Curtis Naughton either side of a second try from Shaul with Sneyd converting the lot for 36-16. Jermaine McGillvary stemmed the FC charge with a 71st minute try for 36-20 but the last say went to Marc Sneyd who added a drop goal in the final minute to confirm a 37-20 victory. 

Saints Stun Wolves

Friday's televised game came from the Halliwell Jones Stadium as Warrington Wolves hosted St Helens with the Saints looking to extend their winning streak at the home of the Wolves who themselves had the chance to extend their lead at the top. Warrington took control early on with scores from Kevin Penny and Ryan Atkins coupled with a conversion from Ben Westwood to make it 10-0 inside 12 minutes. Kyle Amor replied for the visitors with Luke Walsh converting ahead of a first senior try from Jack Ashworth which Walsh converted to put Saints ahead at 12-10. Ben Currie sent the Wolves into the interval ahead at 14-12 with a late effort.

However, the lead changed hands withing seven minutes of the restart as Matty Dawson crossed for 16-14 with Walsh adding a penalty goal just after the hour mark for a 18-14 advantage. Another Saints youngster opened his account as Morgan Knowles scored in the 70th minute with Walsh converting for 24-14 before adding a drop goal from the next set for a 25-14 lead. Warrington staged a late fightback with Penny crossing for a second time ahead of a late Tom Lineham score but a failure and refusal to convert the tries left them with a 25-22 loss. 

Super Salford Succeed Over Lacklustre Leeds

Saturday evening's action came from the AJ Bell Stadium as Salford Red Devils hosted Leeds Rhinos with the Rhinos keen to kick-start their season after a horror start. A tight first quarter coupled with the mixed weather conditions saw a close game which sprung into action when Logan Tomkins scored on 23 minutes with Gareth O'Brien converting for 6-0. Michael Dobson extended the lead four minutes later with a penalty goal for 8-0, an advantage that lasted into half-time. 

Robert Lui (Dobson conv) made it 14-0 to the hosts withing five minutes of the restart before a late rally from the Rhinos saw Keith Galloway and Ashton Golding open their accounts for the season in the last ten minutes with Zak Hardaker converting just the first effort as the Red Devils secured a 14-10 success. 

Wonderful Wildcats Walkover Wounded Warriors

Sunday saw the final two games take place but I'll start with the one which I attended as Wakefield Wildcats hosted Wigan Warriors at Belle Vue. Wigan went into the game on the back of a virus in the camp meaning that of the 17 fielded, two 19s debuted alongside four fellow Academy products while the Wildcats fielded a strong 17. Many expected a Wakefield win but what happened across the 80 minutes can only be described as an unbelievable experience.

Wakefield opened the scoring on 11 minutes through Nick Scruton with Liam Finn converting for a 6-0 lead which soon became 18-0 just before the half-hour mark as Jacob Miller and Tom Johnstone crossed with Finn converting both. Wigan looked out of sorts as the interval neared and the hosts took full advantage as Miller scored his second for a huge 22-0 lead at half-time.

The game as a contest was over before the hour as Finn scored and Miller claimed his hat-trick ahead of a brace from Danny Kirmond with Finn converting the lot for 46-0. The record for Wigan's highest loss in SL stood at 70-0 (Leeds 2005) but came under threat as Ben Jones-Bishop and Max Jowitt crossed (Finn conv) to make it 56-0 with nine minutes left. Wigan avoided a new record loss but were sadly nilled for the first time since the aforementioned Leeds loss as Scruton scored his second six minutes from the end with Finn completing a 22 point personal haul with the conversion for 62-0. 

Terrific Tigers Vanquish Vikings

Sunday's round closer came from the Select Security Stadium as Widnes Vikings hosted Castleford Tigers with both looking to secure success after mixed Easter programmes. Widnes raced into an 18-0 lead inside 18 minutes as Patrick Ah Van, Magraff Leuluai and Corey Thompson crossed with Chris Bridge converting the trio of efforts. Castleford fought back superbly as Denny Solomona ran in two tries in as many minutes with Luke Gale converting just the latter for 18-10 into the interval. 

Solomona took just two minutes of the second half to complete his hat-trick with Gale converting to cut the gap to 18-16 but the lead did finally change hands as Ryan Boyle (Gale conv) made it 22-18 to the Tigers before a self converted try from Gale pushed them into a 10 point lead at 28-18. Lloyd White (Bridge conv) made it a four point game at 28-24 before Paul McShane confirmed the win for the Tigers on 78 minutes with Gale converting for a 34-24 final score.

Super League Round Nine Review

Due to a severe issue on my laptop, only the results of the round nine games are available which follow below, normal service should be resumed in next week's round ten post.