HALIFAX PANTHERS 48 HUNSLET 10
KEITH McGHIE, Bartercard Odsal, Bradford, Sunday
DAVID NOFOALUMA and birthday boy Brandon Douglas claimed braces as Halifax ran in eight tries to climb back into the play-off places on their fifth and final ‘home’ game at Odsal.
Fax began unconvincingly against the Championship’s basement team and were only one score ahead for most of the first half. But once the hosts had added three quick tries either side of the break, there was only one winner and Hunslet, who have conceded over 50 seven times this season, must have feared another rout.
Ultimately the Parksiders, with just two wins this season, shipped in six second half tries, all converted by dual registered St Helens halfback George Whitby to ease above Doncaster to sixth in the table.
James Saltonstall was restored to the wing to move up the 17th in Fax’s post-war appearance makers, relegating Jack Wilkinson, who played for Great Britain during the 50s, one place.
Maxime Jobe and Leon Cowen also came in on the bench as Dayon Samba, Ben Crooks and Adam Tangata dropped out.
Troubled Hunslet, who lost the services of Koby Rugless to London Broncos in midweek, made several changes to the side thumped 56-0 by York seven days beforehand.
Billy Jowitt, who learned his trade at Odsal, was able to return to fullback, as new loan signing Finley Balback, also coming though the Bradford system, joined Ryan Westerman, Ethan Wood and another ex-Bull Sam Ackroyd among the 17 not used against the Knights.
Handling errors by both teams made for a rather disjointed affair prior to the interval, with Fax’s two converted tries helping them to a 12-4 lead.
It took Fax only four minutes to go ahead as Ronan Dixon touched down after the hosts had been given a second successive set with the ball following a Westerman fumble fielding a last tackle kick.
Westerman almost made amends when intercepting of a stray Jack Hansen pass but when he looked for support the attack lost its way.
Nofoaluma broke clear for Fax but somehow their leading try scorer Saltonstall, usually so clinical, managed to drop the final pass.
Halifax were made to pay as Jack Rampton successfully followed a kick to the corner, albeit Jowitt was unable to add the touchline conversion so leaving the Panthers ahead.
As the half wore on Fax began to assert more authority and the frequently difficult to handle Jacob Fairbank was held up before successive sets and the consequent pressure eventually told when Nofoaluma crossed to give his side some breathing space at half time.
Shortly after the restart a Nofoaluma break created disruption in the Hunslet defence and Will Calcott capitalised to score under the posts. Whitby, whose introduction seemed to give Fax more purpose, converted.
Douglas, on his 28th birthday, added a fourth try and with Whitby on for Hansen and adding to both second half scores, the game began to get away from the visitors.
Calcott was denied a second try when, having shaken off a weak tackle he was miraculously held up by the two last lines of defence.
Hunslet were now under incessant pressure and it was little surprise when Douglas’ power earned a second score in seven minutes.
Nofoaluma, Jobe and Fairbank added further tries while Whitby finished a one hundred percent kicking effort with seven goals.
Jowitt created and scored a clever solo effort, then converted, as late consolation for Hunslet.
GAMESTAR: David Nofoaluma was always involved, scored two tries and helped start the handling move of the match for Maxime Jobe’s score.
GAMEBREAKER: Fax’s two early converted second half tries opened a four score lead which Hunslet never looked like having the armoury to close.
MATCHFACTS
PANTHERS
23 David Nofoaluma
2 Ben Tibbs
3 Charlie Graham
20 Brad Graham
5 James Saltonstall
6 James Woodburn-Hall
7 Jack Hansen
8 Brandon Douglas
9 Adam O’Brien
16 Ronan Dixon
19 Zack McComb
13 Jacob Fairbank
15 Connor Davies
Subs (all used)
32 George Whitby
22 Maxime Jobe
33 Leon Cowen
17 Will Calcott
Tries: Dixon (4), Nofoaluma (38, 61), Calcott (44), Douglas (50, 57), Jobe (65), Fairbank (67)
Goals: Hansen 1/1, Whitby 7/7
HUNSLET
4 Billy Jowitt
23 Jack Rampton
1 Jimmy Watson
20 Lloyd McEwan-Peters
21 Coby Nicol
39 Ryan Westerman
42 Finley Balback
8 Harvey Hallas
10 Matty Fletcher
17 Keelan Foster
11 Ethan Wood
19 Liam Welham
18 Brad Clavering
Subs (all used)
41 Sam Ackroyd
15 Liam Carr
22 Harrison Gilmore
31 Kevin Larroyer
Tries: Rampton (20), Jowitt (78)
Goals: Jowitt 1/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 12-4; 18-4, 24-4, 30-4, 36-4, 42-4, 48-4, 48-10
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Panthers: David Nofoaluma; Hunslet: Billy Jowitt
Penalty count: 7-4
Half-time: 12-4
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
Attendance: 1,288