Featherstone Rovers 36 Hunslet Hawks 18: Hunslet in late rally but Rovers prove too strong

Winger Tommy Saxton scored a hat trick as the Championship favourites ran in eight tries.

Rovers captain Liam Finn had a poor day with his goalkicking, landing just one goal from six attempts, but he still managed to stretch his Rovers scoring run to 50 consecutive matches.

Featherstone coach Daryl Powell said: “We were poor in the second-half. We got the result but we were disappointed with the overall performance.”

Rovers went ahead in the second minute when Kyle Briggs scored from Andy Kain’s inch-perfect kick.

Brad Singleton was tackled just short in a spell of Hunslet pressure before Featherstone’s Ben Kaye marked his 100th career appearances by forcing his way over from acting half.

The Hawks fell further behind when Kain and Ian Hardman combined from a scrum 25 yards out to send in Saxton.

Hunslet full-back Jimmy Watson foiled Liam Finn with a try-saving tackle before Rovers went further ahead.

Saxton and Hardman saw Tom Hodson score at the corner before Briggs, James Lockwood and Greg Worthington combined for Saxton’s second score.

Watson was then punished for losing the ball near his own try line when Worthington dummied his way over for Rovers’ sixth try.

Featherstone’s finishing let them down badly in the second-half as they wasted a string of chances. Tom Bush opened Hunslet’s account with a try before Rovers sealed victory when Saxton completed his hat-trick and Andy Ellis scored a try that Briggs converted.

Hawks ended the game strongly with late tries from Liam Hood, Lee Brickwood and Watson and one conversion by David March.

Featherstone Rovers: Hepworth; Hodson, Hardman, Worthington, Saxton; Kain, Finn; James, Kaye, England, Lockwood, Bryan, Briggs. Substitutes: Bostock, Crossley, Ellis, Hellewell.

Hunslet Hawks: J Watson; Bush, Nathaniel, Keinhorst, Brickwood; Grimshaw, Helliwell; Yates, Hood, Singleton, Houston, Haughey, March. Substitutes: Hughes, Chisholm, Lewis, Menzies.

Referee: J Leahy (Dewsbury).