Featherstone 4 Sheffield 33: Soaring Eagles inflict more pain on Featherstone in fiesty battle

Menzie Yere bagged two tries and Pat Walker scored a try and kicked four goals as they inflicted Featherstone’s fourth successive home defeat and dealt another blow to Rovers’ top-four bid.

In an ill-tempered game punctuated by 28 penalties, five players were sin-binned, with Sheffield’s John Davies yellow-carded twice for holding down.

Featherstone, still looking for their first win at Big Fellas Stadium this season, made a dreadful start when experienced prop Paul Wood was carried off with a leg injury after being injured in the first tackle.

The Eagles went ahead when Yere raced through a huge gap for a second-minute try.

Quentin Laula-Togagae and Yere then made an opening for Scott Turner to score.

Alex Foster was halted inches short in a spell of Rovers pressure but they fell further behind when Laula-Togagae weaved his way over and Walker kicked his fourth goal.

Both teams finished the half with 12 men after Featherstone’s Jack Bussey and Sheffield’s John Davies were sin-binned in separate incidents for holding.

The Eagles shot further ahead early in the second when Misi Taulapapa crossed. The one-way traffic continued when Laula-Togagae sent in Yere.

Davies was sin-binned again before Rovers opened their account by capitalising on the extra man when swift passing put in Will Sharp at the corner.

Tony Tonks (Sheffield) and Ian Hardman (Featherstone) were sin-binned after a flare up and Andy Ellis (Rovers) was later yellow-carded before Sheffield completed the scoring with a Michael Knowles drop goal and a last-minute Walker try.

Featherstone Rovers: Hitchcox; Blackmore, Hardman, Chappell, Sharp; Sykes, Moore; James, Ellis, Wood, Cording, Foster, Bussey. Substitutes: Irwin, Baldwinson, Bostock, Ormondroyd.

Sheffield Eagles: Laula-Togagae; Turner, Yere, Smeaton, Taulapapa; Briggs, Brambani; Battye, Carlile, Tonks, Knowles, Langley, Walker. Substitutes: Davey, Thorpe, Stringer, Davies.

Referee: J Cobb (RFL).