FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  

The final game of the opening day of the Summer Bash saw the runaway league leaders Featherstone Rovers take on the ‘home’ side, the York RLFC Knights with the rest of the competition hoping that the Knights could spring a surprise and record the flat cappers first league defeat of the season.

The bookies given Gavin Henderson’s battle weary side a twenty-four-point start on the coupon and predicted a massacre, but Sean Long knew that their challenge was not to be taken lightly and that anything but a top-drawer game from the top side in the competition could lead to a slip up, and an end to their eleven-game unbeaten league run.

It was potentially a great game to bring down the curtain on a fantastic first day.

Featherstone set their stall out early as they laid siege to the Knights line in the opening exchanges, York unable to get out of their own half.

When James Cunningham took out Jack Bussey off the ball on eight minutes, Gadwin Springer went over the line on his back but was held up in goal.

Gareth Gale opened the scoring on eleven after taking a Jonathon Ford miss-out pass to go round the York winger and stretch to score in the corner. Dan Smith was wide from the touchline, Featherstone with a 4-0 advantage.

Connor Fitzsimmons was sin-binned on seventeen for his reaction to being elbowed in the face by Luke Briscoe, the Featherstone winger staying on the field. Two plays after the penalty saw Springer push his way over the line and ground under the sticks. Smith was on target this time for a 10-0 lead.

On their first scoring opportunity of the game York found their way over the whitewash with Jesse Dee taking a Chris Clarkson pass to hit the Featherstone line and stretch to score. James Glover was just wide with the conversion effort, the margin down to six points.

Five minutes before the break McKenzie Yei chased down a Thomas Lacans grubber to ground in a crowd of players before going dead in goal. Jack Bussey was back from a HIA and added the conversion for a more comfortable 16-4 half time margin.

Yei was held up over the line on forty-one after a lightening fast start to the second half from Rovers.

On forty-seven a superb Caleb Aekins pass went into the hands of a grateful Gale who leapt to score in the corner and put the game beyond York. Bussey was wide with the conversion, but the lead was now sixteen points.

Gale completed his hat-trick on the hour mark as he ripped through the York defence after taking a John Davies pass to go in next to the uprights. Bussey was wide of the mark from directly in front of the uprights, an awful miss.

Featherstone were now cutting loose as they went in for their sixth try as Davies was again the provider, this time for Connor Jones to take the pass as his colleagues lined up, and dive in under the sticks. Bussey found the target this time for 30-4.

Fifteen minutes from the end John Ford was the beneficiary of a Davies pass to go in without a York hand laid upon him. Bussey kicked his third goal of the night for 36-4.

A consolation try from Joe Brown on seventy minutes gave the home crowd something to cheer as he took a high kick on the first bounce to score under the sticks. Glover hit the target with the conversion to bring up double figures.

A double dummy from Lacans gave Fev’ their eighth try of the night and bring up the forty points as he took a Jones pass. Bussey was wide again, not his best night with the boot, Featherstone with a 40-10 lead.

A jinking run from Josh Daley added another York try, Featherstone finally tiring in defence after a big effort. Glover smacked his conversion over the cross bar for 40-16.

Gale scored the final try of the game, his fourth, after York spilled the ball returning it from their own line. Bussey made the conversion with the last kick of the game for a final score of 46-16.

The Featherstone Rovers bandwagon rolls on as they continue their unbeaten run to twelve games in the 2023 Championship season. They are now eight points clear at the top of the pile and looking firm favourites for promotion to Super League come the end of season Million Pound Game, few would bet against them. York battled injury and adversity but came off a poor second best, showing the bookies, once again, to be shrewd operators.

Featherstone Rovers:  Aekins, Briscoe, Hardcastle, Hankinson, Gale (4T), Ford (T), Lacans (T), Kopczak, Wildie, Springer (T), Day, Bussey (3G), Smith (G). Subs:   Jones (T), Yei (T), Davies, Moors. 18th Man: Hall.

York RLFC Knights: Brown (T), Towse, Glover (G), Dee (T), Butterworth, Cunningham, Daley, Kirby, Jibb, Fitzsimmons (SB on 17), Field, Clarkson, Michael. Subs: Harrison, Teanby, Ta’ai, Barnard. 18th Man: Price.

Half-Time: 16-4.

Full-Time: 46-16.

Score Progression: 4-0, (SB), 8-0, 10-0, 10-4, 14-4, 16-4 : HT: 20-4, 24-4,  28-4, 30-4, 34-4, 36-4, 36-8, 36-10, 40-10, 40-14, 40-16, 44-16, 46-16 : FT.

Lead Exchanges: Featherstone.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas.



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 27th May 2023 9:13 PM | Views : 6215 | Replies : 0 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
1s
Shopping list for 2025
HU8HFC
5588
15s
Rumours and signings v9
Mark_P1973
28902
27s
Film game
karetaker
5766
27s
DoR - New Coach - Investor & Adam - New signings
Theeaststand
4048
49s
Game - Song Titles
Boss Hog
40802
53s
How many games will we win
Shifty Cat
48
1m
Getting a new side to gel
Wigan Bull
2
1m
Pre Season - 2025
Hullrealist
191
1m
Opening Championship and League One Fixtures for 2025 Released
RLFANS News
1
2m
ALL NEW 49ERS ERA LEEDS UTD THREAD
tad rhino
2611
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Shirt reveal coming soon
Khlav Kalash
2
TODAY
Opening Championship and League One Fixtures for 2025 Released
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
Getting a new side to gel
Wigan Bull
2
TODAY
Fixtures
Hockley Bron
12
TODAY
Writers required
H.G.S.A
1
TODAY
2025 Fixtures
Jemmo
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Thu 13th Feb
SL
20:00
Wigan-Leigh
Fri 14th Feb
SL
20:00
Hull KR-Castleford
SL
20:00
Catalans-Hull FC
Sat 15th Feb
SL
15:00
Leeds - Wakefield
SL
17:30
St.Helens-Salford
Sun 16th Feb
SL
15:00
Huddersfield-Warrington
Thu 20th Feb
SL
20:00
Wakefield - Hull KR
Fri 21st Feb
SL
20:00
Warrington-Catalans
SL
20:00
Hull FC-Wigan
Sat 22nd Feb
SL
15:00
Salford-Leeds
SL
20:00
Castleford-St.Helens
Sun 23rd Feb
SL
14:30
Leigh-Huddersfield
Thu 6th Mar
SL
20:00
Hull FC-Leigh
Fri 7th Mar
SL
20:00
Castleford-Salford
SL
20:00
St.Helens-Hull KR
Sat 8th Mar
SL
17:30
Catalans-Leeds
Sun 9th Mar
SL
17:30
Warrington - Wakefield
SL
17:30
Wigan-Huddersfield
Thu 20th Mar
SL
20:00
Salford-Huddersfield
Fri 21st Mar
SL
20:00
St.Helens-Warrington
This is an inplay table and live positions can change.
Mens Betfred Super League XXVIII ROUND : 1
 PLDFADIFFPTS
Wigan 29 768 338 430 48
Hull KR 29 731 344 387 44
Warrington 29 769 351 418 42
Leigh 29 580 442 138 33
Salford 28 556 561 -5 32
St.Helens 28 618 411 207 30
 
Catalans 27 475 427 48 30
Leeds 27 530 488 42 28
Huddersfield 27 468 658 -190 20
Castleford 27 425 735 -310 15
Hull FC 27 328 894 -566 6
LondonB 27 317 916 -599 6
This is an inplay table and live positions can change.
Betfred Championship 2024 ROUND : 1
 PLDFADIFFPTS
Wakefield 27 1032 275 757 52
Toulouse 26 765 388 377 37
Bradford 28 723 420 303 36
York 29 695 501 194 32
Widnes 27 561 502 59 29
Featherstone 27 634 525 109 28
 
Sheffield 26 626 526 100 28
Doncaster 26 498 619 -121 25
Halifax 26 509 650 -141 22
Batley 26 422 591 -169 22
Swinton 28 484 676 -192 20
Barrow 25 442 720 -278 19
Whitehaven 25 437 826 -389 18
Dewsbury 27 348 879 -531 4
Hunslet 1 6 10 -4 0
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
1s
Shopping list for 2025
HU8HFC
5588
15s
Rumours and signings v9
Mark_P1973
28902
27s
Film game
karetaker
5766
27s
DoR - New Coach - Investor & Adam - New signings
Theeaststand
4048
49s
Game - Song Titles
Boss Hog
40802
53s
How many games will we win
Shifty Cat
48
1m
Getting a new side to gel
Wigan Bull
2
1m
Pre Season - 2025
Hullrealist
191
1m
Opening Championship and League One Fixtures for 2025 Released
RLFANS News
1
2m
ALL NEW 49ERS ERA LEEDS UTD THREAD
tad rhino
2611
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Shirt reveal coming soon
Khlav Kalash
2
TODAY
Opening Championship and League One Fixtures for 2025 Released
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
Getting a new side to gel
Wigan Bull
2
TODAY
Fixtures
Hockley Bron
12
TODAY
Writers required
H.G.S.A
1
TODAY
2025 Fixtures
Jemmo
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS


Visit the RLFANS.COM SHOP
for more merchandise!