HUNSLET 0 BARROW RAIDERS 58
CHRISTIAN LEE, South Leeds Stadium, Sunday
SHANE TOAL and Tee Ritson crossed for hat-tricks as Barrow returned to winning ways with a comfortable victory at basement side Hunslet.
On-loan St Helens speedster Ritson troubled the home defence throughput, breaking the line at will and playing a part in further tries to go with his own haul.
After a quiet start, the game was sparked into life by Ritson. He used his pace in the midfield to get on the outside of his defender before finding Toal back inside to finish the move under the posts.
Ryan Shaw landed the first of his eight goals from ten attempts, including a late penalty (Brad Walker got one from the tee).
From the restart, a smart kick in behind released Ritson again. This time the left winger bounced off the covering Billy Jowitt and cut back inside before two passes later, Shaw dived over in the opposite corner.
Hunslet had chances in the opening half but failed to find a decisive pass and, eventually, were made to pay when the Raiders stretched their lead.
A well-drilled training-ground move created space for Ritson and, after being the architect of the first two, he had a try of his own wide out.
Any faint hopes of a comeback by the home side were quickly dashed as Barrow crossed for two tries at the start of a dominant second-half showing.
Five minutes in, the crowd were greeted with the familiar sight of Ritson streaking away down his touchline, and just like for the first try of the first half, Toal was on the inside to receive the ball.
Barrow then broke from a scrum deep inside their own half and in the following play, the ball was shifted right to Shaw, who dived over for his second. His goal attempts deflected wide off the right-hand upright, leaving him at that point on three from five.
There followed a procession of tries for Barrow as Hunslet began to visibly tire.
Ritson scored his second chasing a kick directly from a scrum on the halfway line before Ryan Brown crashed over from close range.
Ritson then had his hat-trick when he finished off a length-of-the-field move which started with Shaw on the opposite wing.
In the closing minutes, Toal crossed for his third after Ritson broke away once more (this time Walker goaled).
Finally, Josh Wood went in for his side’s tenth try of the afternoon when he jinked his way past defenders from dummy-half.
After Hunslet failed with a short drop-out, Shaw capped off his strong performance from the tee with his penalty-goal from in front of the posts.
GAMESTAR: Tee Ritson was almost untouchable on Barrow’s left wing, crossing for three tries of his own and setting up three more for his centre Shane Toal.
GAMEBREAKER: The Raiders’ two tries early in the second half ended any chance of a home comeback.
MATCHFACTS
HUNSLET
4 Billy Jowitt
21 Coby Nichol
19 Liam Welham
39 Ryan Westerman
41 Joe Ward
6 Lachlan Hanneghan
38 Lee Gaskell
17 Keelan Foster
34 Mason Corbett
36 Brett Bailey
22 Harrison Gilmore
37 Will Kirby
18 Brad Clavering
Subs (all used)
14 Cam Berry
8 Harvey Hallas
10 Matty Fletcher
13 Jordan Syme
RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
17 Ryan Shaw
5 Shane Toal
4 Luke Broadbent
30 Tee Ritson
22 Alex Bishop
7 Ryan Johnston
8 Tom Walker
9 Josh Wood
10 Ramon Silva
11 Ellis Robson
3 Matty Costello
6 Brad Walker
Subs (all used)
14 Aaron Smith
32 Ryan Brown
16 Charlie Emslie
12 James Greenwood
Tries: Toal (10, 46, 75), Shaw (13, 52), Ritson (27, 62, 73), Brown (68), Wood (77)
Goals: Shaw 8/10, B Walker 1/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-16; 0-22, 0-26, 0-32, 0-38, 0-44, 0-50, 0-56, 0-58
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hunslet: Billy Jowitt; Raiders: Tee Ritson
Penalty count: 7-5
Half-time: 0-16
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 804