BOYS’ YEAR 7 STEVEN MULLANEY MEMORIAL FINAL
ST PETER’S CATHOLIC HIGH 38 THE DEANERY 0
PHIL HODGSON, Wembley Stadium, Saturday

ST PETER’S, with an impressive display of expansive Rugby League and relentless support play, steamrollered their way to victory against gallant Deanery, who despite the efforts of such as Zac Blake and Cooper Corfield, struggled to contain their Wigan rivals.

The victors totalled seven tries with Blake Baggaley (the official player of the match) and centre Oliver Green bagging a brace apiece.

Harry McPhelim contributed a try and five goals, including a couple from wide out.

Given that both schools are based in the borough it was inevitable that the Steven Mullaney Trophy would be taken to Wigan while the Women’s and Men’s teams duly followed suit, both emphatically.

Another feature of the game was that Jack Twigg – the son of Steven Mullaney’s sister Lauren – was the referee.

Twigg, who is on Huddersfield Giants’ books, inevitably brought a player’s mentality to his officiating and allowed the game to flow.

He awarded only three penalties, two to Deanery and one to Peter’s, including in the first minute for ripping out.

That set the territory for Green to finish off approach work by Harry Simmons and McPhelim.

On nine minutes Green crossed again, this time courtesy of a 50-metre solo run.

Baggaley emulated Green’s long-range effort four minutes later, down the right on this occasion. And with a solo score by McPhelim, notched after his audacious dummy and a 40-yard sprint, it was 22-0 at the turn.

The second period started badly for Deanery, Peter’s loose forward Louis Peel collecting the ball at the kick-off and Archie Parsley duly crashing in wide out.

Corfield, after charging through in response, saw his subsequent pass intercepted by Cian Welch, Baggaley completing that set with another long-range score.

And after Olly Kay went close with a blistering attack and Deanery winger Caleb Black was bundled into touch by Green and Welch, Lenny Mason and McPhelim combined to send Alfie Meadwell over out wide, McPhelim closing the contest with a superb touchline conversion.

ST PETERS: Blake Baggaley, Jacob Lucas, Sonny Bartolini-Bradley, Oliver Green, Bobby Murray, Harry McPhelim, Lenny Mason, William Morris, Harry Simmons, James Woods, Noah Eden, Joey Howard, Louis Peel. Subs: Olly Kay, Cian Welch, Archie Parsley, Henry Weall, Alfie Meadwell, Freddy Rigby, Sam Cowley

DEANERY: Josh Carruthers, Tom Barton, Cooper Corfield, Bobby Mann, Caleb Black, Jack East, Archie Halliday, Yavuz Aksamaz, Zac Blake, Joel Ralulu, Olly Schofield, Henry Haugh, Louie Brady. Subs: Matt Liptrot, Patrick Caldwell, Charlie Baker, Danielis Bilkauskas

Referee: Jack Twigg