HALIFAX PANTHERS 38 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 12
SIMON JONES, The Shay, Sunday
BUOYANT Halifax stayed at the top of the table after putting on a seven-try show to make it four wins from four Championship games this season and condemn faltering Featherstone to a third successive loss in all competitions.
Panthers halfback Jack Hansen returned to the starting side as Kyle Eastmond’s men returned to action after a blank weekend due to the Challenge Cup (they were eliminated in round three).
Rovers had visited France for their fourth-round tie with Catalans Dragons, who won 46-18, eight days earlier.
Coach Paul Cooke, for his fourth match since succeeding James Ford, included Hull prop Will Gardiner, signed on a season-long loan, and three Hull KR players on dual-registration – backs Louix Gorman and Connor Barley and forward Leo Tennison.
Halifax made a flying start as, after Adam Tangata caused Featherstone problems, Brandon Douglas struck on four minutes, rampaging through from James Woodburn-Hall’s crafty pass.
Louis Jouffret converted, then dealt with a Caleb Aekins kick as he tried to spark Featherstone into action.
Ben Crooks came close for the Panthers after a good run by James Saltonstall, before Tangata claimed Halifax’s second try on eight minutes, touching down after Ben Tibbs’ kick took a deflection, although it was too far out for Jouffret to add the two points.
Featherstone found some rhythm, but Crooks stopped Barley in his tracks, then Brad Graham climbed high to deal with another awkward kick.
Graham produced a great tackle to thwart Bailey O’Connor, but the visitors weren’t to be denied, and a long ball spun to the right enabled ever-dangerous Derrell Olpherts to strike. Gorman goaled from wide out to reduce the arrears to 10-6.
Jouffret scrambled successfully to halt another threat, before combining with Crooks to put Tibbs over wide out, then adding the conversion.
Halifax were again in the driving seat, and Tangata and Jacob Fairbank threatened before the arrival of try number four on 30 minutes.
After Halifax were awarded a penalty for a tackle off the ball, the chasing Jack Hansen got to Tom Inman’s kick, although Jouffret was off target from the tee.
Featherstone put the kick-off out on the full, inviting further pressure on their line, but Woodburn-Hall’s pass was out of reach of his team-mates and went into touch.
However, there was no escape for Featherstone just before the break as Graham dummied his way through their defence. Jouffret couldn’t convert, but it was now 24-6.
Connor Jones’ 47th-minute score from a grubber, improved by Gorman, rewarded a strong start to the second half by Featherstone and gave the travelling fans some hope.
It was nip and tuck for a spell, but Hansen’s second try, scored on 62 minutes from Tibbs’ pass and goaled by Jouffret, was huge for Halifax.
The hosts finished strongly, with Jouffret kicking a penalty-goal, then converting a try from dummy-half by Adam O’Brien.
GAMESTAR: Forward Adam Tangata was a real driving force for Halifax.
GAMEBREAKER: Jack Hansen’s second try, on 62 minutes, took the fire out of Featherstone’s attempted fightback.
MATCHFACTS
PANTHERS
1 Louis Jouffret
2 Ben Tibbs
4 Ben Crooks
20 Brad Graham
5 James Saltonstall
6 James Woodburn-Hall
7 Jack Hansen
8 Brandon Douglas
9 Adam O’Brien
16 Ronan Dixon
12 Adam Tangata
19 Zack McComb
13 Jacob Fairbank
Subs (all used)
11 Owen McCarron
14 Tom Inman
15 Connor Davies
17 Will Calcott
Tries: Douglas (4), Tangata (8), Tibbs (21), Hansen (30, 62), Graham (39), O’Brien (71)
Goals: Jouffret 5/8
ROVERS
37 Louix Gorman
2 Derrell Olpherts
35 Connor Barley
24 Bailey O’Connor
23 Connor Wynne
1 Caleb Aekins
13 Danny Addy
10 Jimmy Beckett
9 Will Jubb
36 Will Gardiner
11 Brad Day
20 Josh Hardcastle
17 Clay Webb
Subs (all used)
14 Connor Jones
21 Jordan Williams
16 King Vuniyayawa
38 Leo Tennison
Tries: Olpherts (14), Jones (47)
Goals: Gorman 2/2
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Panthers: Adam Tangata; Rovers: Caleb Aekins
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 10-6, 16-6, 20-6, 24-6; 24-12, 30-12, 32-12, 18-12
Penalty count: 6-2
Half-time: 24-6
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 2,225