Featherstone and Bulls keep top four in sights

Featherstone Rovers stayed firmly in the chase for a Championship top-four place with yesterday's impressive 34-6 win at Batley Bulldogs.

It put Rovers just one point behind both Batley and third-placed Halifax who they visit next Sunday before hosting Bradford Bulls on July 24 in their final match in the regular season.

Rovers completed a league double over Batley and avenged their 28-10 Challenge cup defeat at Mount Pleasant in April after building a 10-0 interval lead.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Andy Bostock grabbed an eighth-minute try and Kyle Briggs kicked three first-half goals.

In the second-half, Briggs added four goals and scored a try from half-back partner Anthony Thackeray’s towering kick as Featherstone ran away with the game.

John Davies cleverly created a try for Ian Hardman, Leeds Rhinos’ dual-registered winger Ashton Golding crossed at the corner and Michael Channing capitalised on Thackeray’s high kick to score as Rovers stormed into a 34-0 lead before Chris Ulugia collected Batley’s solitary touchdown two minutes from time.

The only setback for Featherstone was the first-half loss of Jamie Cording with what looked to be a serious knee injury.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Second-placed London Broncos suffered a second successive home defeat when they went down 32-14 to Sheffield Eagles.

Matty James, Matty Fozard, Stan Robin, Quentin Laulu-Togagae, Menzie Yere, Duane Straughier scored the tries with Cory Aston adding four goals.

Bradford kept alive their top-four hopes with a 64-18 thrashing of Whitehaven at Odsal.

Dewsbury Rams threw away an eight-point half-time lead as they lost 22-20 at Championship rivals Workington.