Sheffield Eagles 64 Whitehaven 24: High times for Eagles after Whitehaven romp

The Eagles took the lead with centre Menzie Yere crashing in for a try before the game was held up for an injury to Whitehaven's Danny Barker who was taken to hospital for checks on a suspected neck injury.

Second row Alex Szostak added a second try for the Eagles but Whitehaven came back with tries from Mark Jackson and Craig Calvert and goals from Carl Rudd to take the lead.

The Eagles edged ahead 14-12 before half-time, however, with Matty Brooks's try and Tangi Ropati's first conversion from three attempts.

Calvert's second try and Rudd's goal saw Whitehaven briefly regain the lead but Rowe scored two tries in as many minutes to put the Eagles back in front.

The margin was narrowed by Rob Jackson's try and another goal by Rudd but from then on it was all Eagles as Ropati scored two tries either side of a touchdown by Aaron Groom.

Ropati brought his goal tally to four from seven and the tries kept coming with Alex Rowe's hat-trick and hooker Craig Cook twisting over by the posts.

In the final couple of minutes, winger Ashley Thackeray touched down a chip to the corner and Cook finished off a break by Ryan Hepworth for his second try with Brendon Lindsay kicking his fourth goal from five after taking over duties from Ropati.

Sheffield Eagles: Taulapapa, Thackeray Ropati, Yere, Barnett; Lindsay, McDonald; Hepworth, Cook, Haley; Szostak, Exton, Hirst. Substitutes: Groom, Green, Corcoran, Rowe.

Whitehaven: Veivers; Eilbeck, Rob Jackson, Darby, Calvert; Rudd, Skee; Thornley, Mattinson, Amor, Gorski, Barker, Joe. Substitutes: Smith, Matt Jackson, Hill, Philip.

Referee: M Thomason.