Halifax 24 Dewsbury Rams 0: Rams draw a blank as Halifax hold firm

The 2009 Championship Grand Finalists always looked too strong for their visitors, and built on an 8-0 half-time lead to wrap up a solid win.

The visitors got the early initiative, winning two penalties in their opening set of tackles, without really threatening.

And it was the home side who made the first clean break a minute later, Stanley Gene racing clear down the left before the move broke down.

Those opening minutes summed up the first half; Dewsbury working hard and doing the basics well but lacking strike power and Halifax offering plenty of invention going forward without making it count.

They took the lead on 18 minutes, centre James Haley taking a pass from Australian back rower Dylan Nash to score.

Stand-off Luke Branighan was held up over the line soon after, but it took Halifax until the final minute of the half, when Nash romped over from halfway after scooping up a loose pass, to add to their tally.

The home side stepped up a gear in the second half, with Haley slicing through and Lee Paterson kicking his first conversion. Halifax looked more potent in possession as the game wore on and it was no surprise when Paterson and full-back Shad Royston crossed in the final quarter to wrap things up.

Halifax: Royston; White, Paterson, Haley, Worrincy; Branighan, Gene; Cherryholme, Gleeson, Wrench, Bannister, Goddard, Beswick. Substitutes: Penkywicz, Tamghart, Watene, Nash

Dewsbury Rams: Haynes; Powell, Spurr, Turner, Sanderson; Walker, Brambani; Hirst, Emmett, England, Spicer, Bostock, Hayes. Substitutes: Lunt, Robinson, Stenchion, Watson

Referee: M Thomason (Warrington).