WORKINGTON TOWN 56 NEWCASTLE THUNDER 0
CALLUM LINFORD, Fibrus Community Stadium, Sunday
WORKINGTON got back to winning ways with the help of an Andy Djeukessi double – and gave Graham Steadman an idea of the scale of the task he faces at Newcastle.
Thunder have put the former Great Britain stand-off and Castleford player and coach in interim charge after Chris Thorman joined the staff at York.
That was part of a freshly-announced three-way link-up between those two clubs and Australian powerhouse Penrith Panthers, with Steadman’s long-term role to develop coaching talent and player pathways across the north-east.
In the short term, he is trying to squeeze the maximum out of an inexperienced group, but hosts Town were simply too strong for the basement side, who suffered a tenth defeat in as many league games this year.
Workington had lost their previous two matches, and coach Jony Gorley handed Jude Lupton, a close-season signing from amateurs Millom, a first start at hooker after two outings from the bench.
And there were second appearances for on-loan Castleford duo Djeukessi and Sam Grice at winger and secondrow respectively.
Wales international Grice was alongside another loanee in Hull FC’s Lennon Clark, who had been brought in a few days previously.
Newcastle made a decent start, pinning Workington back for a time, but after they were pulled up for offside, Gorley’s team took advantage, with a good set ending with Jamie Doran kicking for Dave Eccleston to score.
The game ebbed and flowed before Djeukessi crossed on 16 minutes and Jake Carter landed the first of his eight goals from ten attempts.
Workington went back to back as Doran broke through just shy of the 30-metre line and weaved his way to the whitewash.
With Lupton pulling the strings, the home team were in control, and with the aid of good hands, Carter crossed the line despite the attentions of three defenders.
Eccleston got his second on the half hour, and with three out of five having been improved, it was 26-0 at the turn.
Five further tries, all converted by Carter, followed in the second half, the first from ex-Wath Brow frontrower Callum Farrer, who was set up by Guy Graham.
Farrer returned the favour for Graham to strike after 48 minutes, then Djeukessi delivered his second try after good work by Doran and Zarrin Galea, who notched one of his own on 63 minutes after Cole Walker-Taylor forced a goal-line drop-out.
Walker-Taylor, another signing from Wath Brow, grabbed the final try with eleven minutes remaining, darting over from dummy-half.
Workington thought they had another when Eccleston went in after good approach play by Cooper Howlett, Rio Corkill and Clark, but it was chalked off.
GAMESTAR: Workington winger Andy Djeukessi scored two tries and produced some solid defensive work.
GAMEBREAKER: Jamie Doran’s try, Town’s third, meant the outcome was realistically wrapped up inside 20 minutes.
MATCHFACTS
TOWN
1 Zarrin Galea
20 Dave Eccleston
3 Rio Corkill
29 Spencer Fulton
– Andy Djeukessi
28 Jake Carter
9 Jamie Doran
8 Ross Ainley
14 Jude Lupton
24 Lucas Castle
– Lennon Clark
– Sam Grice
13 Jack Stephenson
Subs (all used)
15 Cole Walker-Taylor
16 Guy Graham
11 Cooper Howlett
25 Callum Farrer
Tries: Eccleston (7, 30), Djeukessi (16, 56), Doran (19), Carter (23), Farrer (43), Graham (48), Galea (63), Walker-Taylor (69)
Goals: Carter 8/10
THUNDER
1 Joe Bradley
2 Leo Bradley
3 Mike Hansen
4 Sean Croston
5 Jake Dickinson
6 Alex Donaghy
7 Elliot Shaw
8 Harry Lowery
9 Tom Siddle
10 Toby Gibson
11 Alex Taylor
12 George Birch
13 Tyler Walton
Subs (all used)
14 Will Lintin
15 Harry Price
16 David Weetman
17 Lloyd Hall
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 16-0, 22-0, 26-0; 32-0, 38-0, 44-0, 50-0, 56-0
Rugby Leaguer & League League Men of the match
Town: Andy Djeukessi; Thunder: Alex Donaghy
Penalty count: 8-1
Half-time: 26-0
Referee: Adam Williams