Hull KR 22 London Broncos 34: Depleted Robins suffer defeat as London avoid wooden spoon

HULL KR coach Craig Sandercock admitted his side had let a win slip away after they gave away a 16-0 lead and allowed London Broncos to avoid finishing bottom in Super League.
Craig HallCraig Hall
Craig Hall

Craig Hall, Josh Gudzek and Omari Caro all went over for the Robins in the first 23 minutes, meaning London would have to do things the hard way to overturn a 16-point deficit and claim victory.

They did rise to the challenge, however, with youngster Mason Caton-Brown scoring a hat-trick before Jamie Soward (two) and Mark Bryant scored to turn the game on its head.

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“It was a bit of an up-and-down game,” Sandercock said. “At 16-0, we were in total control.

“But we lost our way when Evarn Tuimavave and Jason Netherton went off. Our completion rate went out the window.

“To London’s credit they got back in the game and deserved to win.”

Sandercock rested the majority of his first team ahead of Saturday’s elimination play-off game at St Helens and 18-year-old Guzdek marked his Super League debut with a try from his first touch and Hall converted.

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Hall was back on converting duties 10 minutes after scoring his own try.

A slick move ended with Kris Welham showing quick hands to send Caro over. Hall pushed his conversion wide.

London got on the scoreboard thanks to two pieces of brilliance from Mike Bishay. He took a difficult pass in his stride before weighing a perfect kick for Caton-Brown to score. Soward missed the conversion, but added the extras to his own try to trail 16-10.

And it was Soward again who converted his own try to level the game before his inch-perfect kick was plucked from the sky by Caton-Brown for his second try of the match. Soward converted.

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The Robins replied through their returning vice-captain Welham. Chasing Hall’s kick, he managed to get his hands to the ball before the London defenders and Hall converted to make it 
22-22. But it was all London from them, as Caton-Brown completed his hat-trick before retiring prop Mark Bryant powered his way over from close range and Soward allowed the former to convert for a 34-22 win.

Hull KR: Guzdek, Caro, Welham, Heil, Brown, Withers, Hall, Tuimavave, Carlile, Netherton, Cox, Lovegrove, Griffin. Substitutes: Hepi, Ollett, Green, Beaumont.

London Broncos: Dixon, Hurst, Macani, Caton-Brown, Melling, Sarginson, Soward, Krasniqi, Bishay, Cook, McMeeken, Kaufusi, Lee. Substitutes: Bryant, Fisher, Dollapi, Wicks.

Referee: C Leatherbarrow (RFL).