ROCHDALE HORNETS 70 NEWCASTLE THUNDER 6
THOMAS PEARSON, Crown Oil Arena, Sunday
DYNAMIC winger Dan Nixon ran in five second-half tries as Rochdale inflicted another heavy defeat on basement side Newcastle.
Hornets crossed 13 times in total and were on the front foot straight away, aided by a kick-off which went straight into touch.
They marched up the field in a move which ended with Max Flanagan darting through a gap to score after two minutes. The scrum-half added the first of his eight goals from twelve attempts (Morgan Punchard converted the final try).
Lewis Else was the architect and finisher of a great breakaway score after 13 minutes as he danced out of his own 20 before going the length of the field, turning down the support of Luke Forber to cross himself.
Then Luke Nelmes crashed over from short range to put the hosts firmly in the driving seat.
Tyler Walton was sent to the sin bin for holding down as Thunder struggled to cope with the speed of football Rochdale were playing.
With Newcastle all at sea, Ross Whitmore, the hooker freshly signed from Hunslet, jumped over from dummy-half to grab a debut try and further cement the hosts’ dominance.
Having been under incessant pressure when down to twelve men, it was the return to 13 which became Newcastle’s undoing as confusion in the defensive line allowed Gregg McNally to glide through a hole from fullback to score.
There was still enough time in the first half for Rochdale to coast over again, and Ben Will had the simple task of diving over wide out as the hooter sounded, a fifth Flanagan goal making it 34-0.
The second period began in identical fashion to the first, with a Rochdale try. Nixon acrobatically scored down the right, finishing off a free-flowing move.
Rochdale struck again after 45 minutes through Ben Forster, returning to the club on dual registration from Oldham, and Nixon helped himself to his second try with a walk-in finish, a fine touchline conversion from Flanagan bringing up the half-century.
On the next play, Rochdale repeated the move with the same man scoring again, then he poached his fourth after 66 minutes, finishing from a long looping pass.
Lewis Else pounced, with Flanagan adding his eighth goal for 64-0, before Nixon grabbed his fifth, with Punchard tagging on the two.
At least Newcastle avoided a blank points return as Leo Bradley grabbed their first try in three matches, which Alex Donaghy improved.
GAMESTAR: Rochdale winger Dan Nixon helped himself to five tries in a superb showing which featured an array of both simple and acrobatic finishes.
GAMEBREAKER: Luke Nelmes’ try – Hornets’ third – really opened the floodgates.
MATCHFACTS
HORNETS
1 Gregg McNally
2 Dan Nixon
21 Ben Will
4 Myles Harrop
5 Luke Forber
7 Lewis Else
14 Max Flanagan
26 Elijah Simpson
9 Ross Whitmore
10 Luke Nelmes
28 Darcy Simpson
12 Duane Straugheir
13 Emmerson Whittel
Subs (all used)
23 Morgan Punchard
25 Jayden Dayes
18 Ben Forster
17 Ben Killan
Tries: Flanagan (2), Else (13, 67), Nelmes (19), Whitmore (24), McNally (36), Will (40), Nixon (42, 55, 57, 66, 75), Forster (45)
Goals: Flanagan 8/12, Punchard 1/1
THUNDER
1 Joe Bradley
2 Leo Bradley
3 Sean Croston
4 Lewis Hagan
5 Jake Dickinson
6 Alex Donaghy
7 Mike Hansen
8 Toby Gibson
9 Matty Rolls
10 Harry Price
11 Alex Taylor
12 George Birch
13 Tyler Walton
Subs (all used)
14 Will Linton
15 Tom Siddle
16 David Weetman
17 Josh Leighton
Tries: L Bradley (79)
Goals: Donaghy 1/1
Sin bin: Walton (24) – holding down
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 22-0, 28-0, 34-0; 40-0, 44-0, 50-0, 54-0, 58-0, 64-0, 70-0, 70-6
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hornets: Dan Nixon; Thunder: Leo Bradley
Penalty count: 11-3
Half-time: 34-0
Referee: Luke Bland
Attendance: 669
