Halifax overwhelm Sheffield to move to Championship summit

Sheffield were hit by a three-try burst in six minutes approaching the midpoint of the first half.

Loose forward Craig Ashall followed up a chip from Paul Handforth to touch down between the posts; Lee Patterson goaled.

Halifax kept up the pressure on Eagles’ shaky defence with hooker Sean Penkywicz going in from dummy half. Second row Dane Manning had a clear run for the third try. Halifax’s half-backs were making good use of possession and Ashall bulldozed over.

Scrum-half Dominic Brambani squeezed over and Simon Brown added the goal to cut the lead to 20-6 just before half-time.

The improvement continued after the break with Liam Higgins going in between the posts. Brown added the goal.

The tables were turned as an intercepted pass by Handforth took halifax downfield and prop Luke Ambler went over with Paterson converting. Dane McDonald then forced his way over and Brown added the goal.

Halifax made the game safe with tries from Penkywicz, Ross Divorty and Paterson, with the winger adding the goals.

Ben Heaton was gifted a try at the finish and Paterson’s seventh goal brought up 50 points for Fax.

Sheffield: Laulu-Togagae; Turner, Yere, Taulapapa, Morrison; Brown, Brambani; Howieson, Henderson, Stringer, Szostak, Green, Hirst. Sunstitutes: McDonald, Higgins, Knowles, Alex Rowe.

Halifax: Fieldhouse; Reiffe, Tryer, Heaton, Paterson; Handforth, Thackeray; Ambler, Penkywicz, Gannon, Manning, Robinson, Ashall. Sunstitutes: Casey, Divorty, Hesketh, Aizue.

Referee: Gareth Hewer.

Five players have been charged following the Challenge Cup game between Doncaster and Featherstone amateurs Sharlston.

Doncaster’s Dean O’Loughlin faces a three-match ban after being sent off for repeated punching, Sharlston’s Lee Maskill (headbutt) and Danny Glassell (violent punching) facing similar suspensions if found guilty.

Doncaster’s Nathan Powell and opponent Sean Emblem face two-match bans for punching. Hunslet Old Boys’ Wayne Foster faces five games out if guilty of a forearm strike against Featherstone.