WHITEHAVEN 80 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 12
JORDAN WEIR, Ortus REC, Sunday

WHITEHAVEN secured a third straight victory, scoring 14 tries in the sun to continue a run of form that has seen them push up the table.

They recovered from an early shock in conceding the contest’s first try to run in six tries before a ruthless second-half showing of eight tries and conceding no points before their coach James Newton and assistant Neil Frazer were announced as staying with the club until the end of the 2028 season in front of hundreds of fans after the game.

Ben Fisher scored the opening try of the game for the Crusaders to take a shock lead and he converted his own four-pointer. 

Haven soon replied with Jordan Burns’ unconverted try in the tenth minute the first of three overall for the Whitehaven captain.

They then scored three tries in six minutes from Jay Weatherill, Jack Kellett and Ciaran Walker with the latter adding conversions to the trio of touchdowns. 

The game’s best try came as Haven crossed for the fifth of the game, which started with an Ethan Bickerdike pass to find Walker, who took on the line before laying an exquisite offload round the back reminiscent to the viral Rangi Chase offload back in 2015 to allow Burns to cross in the corner for his second of the afternoon.

The Crusaders hit back just short of the half-hour mark through former Whitehaven halfback Brad Billsborough, who escaped the clutches of Burns to cross the line and silence the crowd, with Fisher adding the conversion.

Burns hit back to secure his first-half hat-trick when a loose pass from Walker hit the ground but Burns reacted the fastest to dive on the loose ball, before some silky footwork saw the full back dance around the visiting defence to ground for his fourth of the season. Walker added the conversion.

The second half started off perfectly for Haven when a perfectly timed run from Ben Pearce blew through the attempted tackle to get his second of the season.

Bickerdike looked to have added another on the next set following a break from Burns, but it was chalked off when Ellis Nixon and Harry Coleman were dismissed for their part in a scuffle.

And the Crusaders were soon down to eleven men following the sin-binning of Bailey Dawson for delaying the restart after changing his path to run into the fast-moving Jay Weatherill. 

Haven ran in four tries while having the man advantage, with Ellison Holgate scooting from dummy-half before running forty metres to score his first of the afternoon with Walker, Pearce and Weatherill all crossing for their second of the afternoon with defensive gaps allowing Haven to seemingly cross at will. 

The gaps became more and more prominent especially down the Crusaders’ right-hand side defence with Weatherill crossing for his third and fourth in quick succession using his pace down the touchline.

The final points came from Bickerdike after having his score ruled out earlier in the contest, out-pacing his opposite number before rounding to the sticks to make the conversion simpler.

Walker’s twelve goals and two tries for 32 points saw him equal Whitehaven’s points in a game record, which was jointly held before the game by Mick Nanyn from August 2004 and Gregg McNally from March 2009.

GAMESTAR: Ciaran Walker’s 32 points levelled the club’s points in a game record to continue his form in recent weeks.

GAMEBREAKER: The four tries from Haven in the first 22 minutes to hit back after conceding the early score saw the game over as a contest. 

MATCHFACTS

WHITEHAVEN
1 Jordan Burns
19 Dave Eccleston
2 Mitchell Todd
4 Ethan Bickerdike
5 Jay Weatherill
6 Ciaran Walker
7 Jack Newbegin
24 Lewis Brown
9 Ellison Holgate
16 Brad Brennan
11 Connor Holliday
23 Ben Pearce
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
12 Rio McQuistan
15 Ellis Nixon
20 Marc Shackley
35 Jackson Smith

Tries: Burns (10, 26, 35), Weatherill (16, 61, 66, 72), Kellett (20), Walker (22, 57), Pearce (42, 64), Holgate (55), Bickerdike (77)
Goals: Walker 12/14
Dismissal: Nixon (47) – fighting

CRUSADERS
17 Jayden Billy
22 Joe Bradley
3 Bailey Dawson
4 Sam Littler
5 Baily Tait
6 Brad Billsborough
7 Ben Fisher
25 Kieran Moran
9 Finley Yates
26 Connor Terrill
23 Marcus Geener
27 Dom Horn
11 Brad Clavering
Subs (all used)
10 Harry Coleman
12 Eoin Bowie
13 Harry Medlicott
14 Jamie Billsborough
18th man (used)
16 Will McCardle

Tries: Fisher (4), Billsborough (29)
Goals: Fisher 2/2
Sin bin: Dawson (53) – delaying restart
Dismissal: Coleman (47) – fighting

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 4-6, 10-6, 16-6, 22-6, 28-6, 28-12, 34-12; 40-12, 46-12, 52-12, 58-12, 64-12, 70-12, 74-12, 80-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of The Match
Whitehaven: Ciaran Walker; Crusaders: Brad Clavering

Penalty count: 8-12
Half-time: 34-12
Referee: Lucas Seal
Attendance: 609