NEWCASTLE THUNDER 0 BATLEY BULLDOGS 54
SEB STERNIK, Crow Trees, Blaydon, Sunday
NEWCASTLE were given a sour taste of reality as their new era kicked off with a 54-0 thumping at the hands of Batley in the second round of the Challenge Cup.
The new-look Thunder, who fielded four debutants, were understandably a few levels below Batley, who cruised into the third round with ease.
The Championship side scored ten tries as they set up a tasty third round derby encounter against the Dewsbury Rams.
A healthy contingent of Bulldogs supporters squeezed into the humble main stand and, before they could finish their first beverage, their side took the lead.
With just six minutes on the clock, Luke Cooper’s crossfield kick was collected by debutant Alfie Dean, who scored in the corner to make it 4-0.
Just a few minutes later, the youngster was at it again. Another attacking move down the right flank allowed Dean to power over the line and put the Bulldogs 8-0 up.
Josh Woods missed his first two conversion attempts, but he quickly got a third chance when Robbie Butterworth crossed on the 20-minute mark. Slick link-up play with Joe Burton allowed Butterworth to score down the left side and allow Woods to add the goal for the first time in the match.
While the first three tries were all worked down the flanks, the fourth went straight through the middle. James Brown got over the line in the 26th minute as he powered through Newcastle’s defence before crashing under the posts. Woods was once again on target with the boot to make it 20-0.
Newcastle had their share of possession but the disparity in quality meant they couldn’t come up with a significant offensive moment. Instead, Batley closed out the first half with yet another try – this time from Jonah Parsons. Woods’ conversion made it 26-0 at the break.
The rain intensified as both teams returned from the sheds, but it didn’t have much impact on the trajectory of the game.
Three minutes after the restart, Burton took a looping pass down the left side before crashing in the corner. Seconds later, Samy Kibula caught the ball from kick off and unleashed Butterworth, who dashed over 50 yards before scoring. Woods added another conversion to make it 38-0.
Newcastle’s best moment of the match came in the 54th minute when the hosts finished their set with a dangerous kick deep into Batley’s half. Unfortunately for them, the following set was like something out of the horror movies.
Thunder conceded three penalties in a matter of minutes as Batley made the most of the situation and powered towards yet another try – this time from Brandon Moore.
In the final 20 minutes of the contest, Batley bagged two more tries as Ben White and Michael Ward added their names to the scoresheet. Woods added the conversion both times to make the final score 54-0.
While Batley power on into the next round of the Challenge Cup, Newcastle will return to the drawing board as they prepare for a big season in League One.
GAMESTAR: Robbie Butterworth not only bagged a couple of eye-catching tries but also produced a well-rounded performance.
GAMEBREAKER: Alfie Dean’s brace at the start of the game set the tone for the one-sided encounter.
MATCHFACTS
THUNDER
1 Alex Donaghy
2 Jake Dickinson
4 Evan Lawther
3 George Birch
18 Sean Croston
6 Charlie Yeomans
7 Elliot Shaw
10 Josh Stoker
9 Matty Rolls
8 Harry Price
11 Alex Taylor
12 Matt Handy
13 Tobias Gibson
Subs (all used)
14 Will Lintin
16 Jack Skelton
– Lloyd Hall
17 Austin Phillips
BULLDOGS
1 Robbie Butterworth
2 Joe Burton
3 Ollie Greensmith
4 Joe Arundel
26 Alfie Dean
7 Josh Woods
6 Ben White
10 Luke Cooper
14 Brandon Moore
13 James Brown
11 Dane Manning
12 Lucas Walshaw
14 Luke Blake
Subs (all used)
18 Samy Kibula
16 Michael Ward
15 Nyle Flynn
23 Jonah Parsons
Tries: Dean (6, 14), Butterworth (19, 44), Brown (26), Parsons (35), Burton (43), Moore (55), White (64), Ward (75)
Goals: Woods 7/10
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-8, 0-14, 0-20, 0-26; 0-32, 0-38, 0-42, 0-48, 0-54
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Thunder: Alex Taylor; Bulldogs: Robbie Butterworth
Penalty count: 4-10
Half-time: 0-26
Referee: Tara Jones