Sheffield Eagles 26 Batley Bulldogs 16: Sheffield top table as Yere sees off Batley

The Eagles, who Kear led to victory in the 1998 Challenge Cup final, saw his present club dominate possession but the Bulldogs were met by a determined Sheffield defence.

Eagles took the lead with centre Menzie Yere bursting through the Batley defence to touch down Michael Knowles’s chip kick.

Ben Black put Batley level going in from dummy half 20 metres out. The stand-off created the second with a chip over the defence for Alex Bretherton to collect. Gareth Moore converted.

Eagles took back the lead with two tries in three minutes. A penalty lifted the pressure before Quentin Laulu-Togagae crossed.

Duane Straugheir forced his way over from Joe Hirst’s pass and two kicks by Brown put the Eagles 16-10 ahead at half-time.

Laulu-Togagae extended the Eagles lead, Brown converted, before Yere crashed over again.

Batley hit back with Gareth Potts collecting a chip kick to go in and Moore added the goal but there was no late Batley revival.

Sheffield: Laulu-Togagae; Finigan, Yere, Straugheir, Morrison; Brown, Brambani; Howieson, Henderson, Stringer, Knowles, McDonald, Hirst. Substitutes: Turner, Green, Szostak, Higgins.

Batley: Preece; Potts, Walton, Maun, Brown; Black, Moore; Smith, Lythe, Green, Bretherton, Grehan, Applegarth. Substitutes: Palfrey, Hirst, Walmsley, Lindsay.

Referee: R Laughton (RFL).