HUNSLET 10 DONCASTER 38
SAM BROCKSOM, South Leeds Stadium, Sunday
FIVE first-half tries helped Doncaster to their first win of the league campaign over a woeful Hunslet side.
And a five-minute try double for captain Reece Lyne helped the South Yorkshire side to a dominant victory.
Hunslet scored two second-half tries but it wasn’t enough after a lacklustre performance full of errors and penalties conceded.
Richard Horne’s Doncaster started the game on the front foot, with ex-Salford and Wakefield prop Pauli Pauli breaking the deadlock. The 30-year-old used his size and skill to power over on the right edge from 15 metres out. Craig Hall, who kicked five goals from eight attempts, couldn’t convert the opening try.
Bureta Faraimo then crossed under the posts just short of the ten-minute mark. Doncaster spread the ball from right to left in their own half allowing for Brad Hey to break away. He managed to find his wing partner Faraimo, who crossed under the posts. Hall’s goal made it a point a minute for the away side.
And 20 minutes into the match, Doncaster added to their lead as two quick tries from Watson Boas and Reece Lyne increased the advantage to 18 points.
First, Boas was on the end of a Faraimo break before captain Lyne powered his way over on the right edge. Both conversions were missed by Hall, which was perhaps the only flaw in Doncaster’s game.
Lyne added a second try on the half-hour mark to round off the first-half scoring. The Dons looked to set up on the left but the centre saw an opportunity to go himself and score from dummy-half. Hall added the conversion to give Doncaster a 24-point lead at the break.
After a poor first half, Hunslet’s opening set looked promising. However, Beharrell’s kick to the corner was caught by Luke Briscoe, who subsequently made a 90-metre break before being caught 10 metres out. To make things worse for the home side, Beharrell was injured in trying to catch the winger. Lachy Hanneghan was also sinbinned for a professional foul. So in one play, Hunslet lost both their halfbacks.
The Dons made their man advantage count as Alex Sutcliffe scored from close range with his first touch of the ball. With an hour gone, they were leading by 30.
Hunslet’s first try of the game came from Noah Booth. The on-loan Wakefield centre made an interception and raced the length of the field to score. Billy Jowitt added the conversion.
Doncaster added a try from Hey and two goals from Hall to their tally before the game concluded. Briscoe patted down a kick to his centre partner and the former Hunslet man sealed the victory against his former club.
On the final play of the game, Hunslet crossed for a second try. Ethan Wood was on the end of a Mackenzie Scurr break to score in the corner, but ultimately it would be a mere consolation as Dean Muir’s side suffer another defeat on their return to the Championship.
GAMESTAR: Despite not crossing for a try himself, Craig Hall played a huge role in the Dons’ attack, and had his hand in a number of points.
GAMEBREAKER: Reece Lyne’s try double before the half-hour mark, helped by lazy Hunslet defending, showed the gap in quality between the sides.
MATCHFACTS
HUNSLET
4 Billy Jowitt
2 Mackenzie Scurr
16 Greg Eden
30 Noah Booth
5 Mackenzie Turner
6 Lachy Hanneghan
7 Matty Beharrell
31 Kevin Larroyer
9 Ross Whitmore
35 Emmanuel Waine
11 Ethan Wood
12 Aaron Levy
27 Sam Campbell
Subs (all used)
8 Harvey Hallas
10 Matty Fletcher
34 Mason Corbett
26 Ethan O’Hanlon
Tries: Booth (58), Wood (80)
Goals: Jowitt 1/2
Sin bin: Hanneghan (43) – professional foul
DONCASTER
28 Harvey Horne
5 Luke Briscoe
4 Reece Lyne
3 Brad Hey
2 Bureta Faraimo
1 Craig Hall
24 Watson Boas
8 Brad Knowles
9 Greg Burns
10 Suaia Matagi
14 Jacob Jones
16 Pauli Pauli
13 Loui McConnell
Subs (all used)
11 Sam Smeaton
12 Alex Sutcliffe
17 Josh Bowden
20 Isaac Misky
Tries: Pauli (6), Faraimo (9), Boas (21), Lyne (25, 30) Sutcliffe (49), Hey (68)
Goals: Hall 5/8
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-14, 0-18, 0-24; 0-30, 6-30, 6-32, 6-38, 10-38
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hunslet: Ethan Wood; Doncaster: Craig Hall
Penalty count: 3-8
Half-time: 0-24
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte
Attendance: 646
