LOCK LANE 0 HULL KR 104
JAMES CHESTNEY, Sewell Group Craven Park, Hull, Friday

HULL KR started their defence of the Challenge Cup in record-breaking style against National League Premier Division side Lock Lane.

The final score was the Robins’ biggest ever, beating the 100-6 against Nottingham City some 36 years ago, but they were slightly helped by their amateur opponents.

Lane gave it their all but two sin bins and a 2-9 penalty count against them made it a real uphill battle which they couldn’t handle.

The Robins ran in 18 tries with Rhyse Martin creating history by converting 16 of them, beating the previous club record for goals in a game (14) held by four other players.

Willie Peters, for his 100th match in charge of Hull KR, fielded four debutants in Harvey Horne (son of former Robin Graeme), Jack Charles (son of former club captain Chris), Karl Lawton and Tom Whitehead, and they all crossed the line.

Horne led the way with a hat-trick of tries, Charles scored two after taking over from Tyrone May at halfback, while the industrious Lawton and Whitehead grabbed one each.

It took Rovers four minutes to open the scoring when Tom Davies went in and with further first-half tries from Sauaso Sue, Elliot Minchella, Noah Booth, the first of a hat-trick for Jack Broadbent, Lawton and then seconds by Davies and Broadbent, they were 46-0 up at half-time.

By this time Martin had landed seven goals from eight attempts.

The Castleford side didn’t help their own cause with Tom Vanstan sin-binned on 22 minutes for going high on Broadbent with his side 24-0 down.

He returned only for substitute Kieron Purdy to be given ten minutes by referee Jack Smith only moments later for a late challenge on Charles.

When the amateurs did get within distance of the Rovers line, which was not too many times, they took the wrong options like a kick too far, or lost possession.

They came with good intentions but against a side with a phenomenal defensive record they were always up against it.

Peters was able to bring off Minchella, Sue, Dean Hadley and May with one eye on their Super League opener at York.

The replacements of Charles, Whitehead, Jack Brown and Bill Leyland all showed Peters what he can have in his squad for another long season.

The second half was much of a procession as the treble winners scored at will, with Charles having a big input after a superb first half from Broadbent.

It was going to be just a case of how many the champions would win by, which proved to be a lot as Horne’s treble was complemented by efforts from Oliver Gildart, Arthur Mourgue, Charles, Whitehead, Charles again, Broadbent’s hat-trick score and Brown.

The flagging amateurs gave it their all and even tried to mix it late on, something Hull KR were far too professional to get involved with. and Horne’s try took them into three figures two minutes from time.

GAMESTAR: Rhyse Martin for his record-breaking goal-kicking.

GAMEBREAKER: The Tom Davies try with just four minutes gone which set the tone of the game.

MATCHFACTS

LOCK LANE
1 Brandon Worsley
20 Morgan Jones
17 Connor Wilson
3 Lewis Price
5 Harry Render
6 Kyle Cranswick
7 Leyton Davies
19 Danny Holmes
9 Nathan Fozzard
10 Rob Jowett
11 Tommy Newbould
4 Tom Boardman
13 Connor Jordan
Subs (all used)
14 Taylor Baddeley
18 Kieran Purdy
16 Lucas Moon
8 Tom Vanstan

Sin bin: Vanstan (22) – high tackle, Purdy (34) – late tackle

HULL KR
14 Jack Broadbent
2 Tom Davies
21 Noah Booth
4 Oliver Gildart
26 Harvey Horne (D)
1 Arthur Mourgue
7 Tyrone May
8 Sauaso Sue
19 Karl Lawton (D)
11 Dean Hadley
17 Rhyse Martin
12 James Batchelor
13 Elliot Minchella
Subs (all used)
18 Jack Brown
22 Bill Leyland
24 Jack Charles (D)
29 Tom Whitehead (D)

Tries: Davies (3, 35), Sue (11), Minchella (17), Booth (23), Broadbent (27, 39, 71), Lawton (29), Horne (43, 57, 78), Gildart (50), Mourgue (52), Charles (61, 68), Whitehead (67), Brown (74)
Goals: Martin 16/18

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-24, 0-30, 0-36, 0-40, 0-46; 0-50, 0-56, 0-62, 0-68, 0-74, 0-80, 0-86, 0-92, 0-98, 0-104

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Lock Lane: Leyton Davies; Hull KR: Rhyse Martin

Penalty count: 2-9
Half-time: 46-0
Referee: Jack Smith