HALIFAX PANTHERS 51 LONDON ROOSTERS 32
IAN GOLDEN, Oldham Leisure Centre, Saturday

HALIFAX kept their dreams of another treble alive, but the visitors ensured their hosts had to fight for the win.

Robert Hawkins was once again the match-winner for the reigning champions, scoring 42 of his side’s points, his first four coming from early penalty-goals.

London crossed first, Mason Billington scoring under the sticks on ten minutes with Jason Owen converting.

They got a second try twelve minutes later when Lewis King did well to outpace his marker and touch down Joe Coyd’s long kick. Owen’s goal put the score on to 12-4.

But that was when the Panthers took control. Two tries from Hawkins and one each from Jack Brown and Fin O’Neill helped give them a healthy half-time lead. Hawkins converted three times and kicked a penalty-goal, with Brown scoring a field-goal as his side led 29-12.

The second half was only a minute old when Hawkins completed a hat-trick. Wayne Boardman couldn’t land the kick.

That put Halifax into a 21-point lead and it was to the Roosters’ credit that it was the largest advantage that the hosts were to have.

London soon got their way back into the game thanks to a King try and Coyd goal, with another Hawkins try and goal addressing the balance on 56 minutes.

London carried on battling, but an eleven-point gap was the closest they got back to, as tries from Coyd, Max Owen and Jack Linden kept them in the game. Coyd added a further goal.

However two further Hawkins tries and goals underlined Halifax’s superiority. 

PANTHERS: 1 Wayne Boardman, 2 Robert Hawkins, 4 Nathan Brown, 6 Jack Brown, 9 Fin O’Neill. Subs (all used): 3 Cian Horgan, 5 Joe Calcott, 8 Jordan Hall

Tries: Hawkins (27, 35, 42, 56, 73, 79), Brown (30), O’Neill (38); Goals: Hawkins 9/10, Boardman 0/1; Field-goals: Brown 1

ROOSTERS: 13 Mason Billington, 3 Joe Coyd, 4 Jason Owen, 5 Lewis King, 8 Max Owen. Subs: 7 Jack Linden, 15 Arun Bains (not used), 24 Nicole Benjamin (not used)

Tries: Billington (10), King (22, 47), Coyd (59), M Owen (64), Linden (76); Goals: J Owen 2/4, Coyd 2/2

Referee: Jake Brook; Half-time: 29-12

LEEDS RHINOS 76 WIGAN WARRIORS 34
PHIL CAPLAN, Leeds Beckett University, Sunday

THE power of Tristan Norfolk, dynamism of Josh Butler and overall excellence of Nathan Collins set up a repeat of the Challenge Cup final as Leeds produced a superb second-half display.

Wigan were without Adam Rigby, with Mark Williams drafted in on the bench, while the Rhinos scored on the last tackle of the opening set through Butler, Collins converting (he got eleven goals in all).

Butler had a second ruled out for obstruction, Jack Heggie replying for the Warriors, adding the conversion and a penalty-goal (the first two of his five in total) to give them the lead.

Both sides forced drop-outs, Collins sending in Cam Hills with a long pass, but Matt Turner responded immediately, going low for the line.

Wigan player-coach Phil Roberts had a field-goal attempt charged down but Turner went over for his second on the right.

Collins cut the deficit to two with a try and goal, Heggie similarly jinking over but missing the conversion and denied a hat-trick when offside.

Collins was again the provider for Jodie Boyd-Ward, his conversion levelling, then Butler’s break from halfway gave Leeds the lead.

Butler and Collins were providers for Norfolk to go over in the opening minute of the second period and Norfolk claimed his brace soon after.

Collins continued the blitz getting over out wide, both sides having tries ruled out and Nathan Mulhall knocking on with the line beckoning, before Butler claimed his third to bring up the half-century.

Collins jinked over on the hour and Tom Halliwell’s introduction set up Mulhall, Butler then latching on to a Collins kick for his fourth try.

A flowing move sent Mulhall in before Toby Burton-Carter got one back for Wigan.

Halliwell kicked a late penalty-goal, Burton-Carter replying again.

RHINOS: 1 Nathan Collins, 2 Cam Hills, 3 Josh Butler, 8 Tristan Norfolk, 10 Jodie Boyd-Ward. Subs (all used): 4 Nathan Mulhall, 5 Becky Wilkinson, 7 Tom Halliwell

Tries: Butler (1, 38, 54, 68), Hills (17), Collins (23, 47, 61), Boyd-Ward (35), Norfolk (41, 43), Mulhall (63, 70); Goals: Collins 11/13, Halliwell 1/1

WARRIORS: 3 Mel Griffith, 4 Toby Burton-Carter, 6 Jack Heggie, 9 Phil Roberts, 27 Matt Turner. Subs (all used): 5 Oran Spain, 7 Nathan Roberts, 10 Mark Williams

Tries: Heggie (4, 28), Turner (19, 23), Burton-Carter (76, 79); Goals: Heggie 5/7

Referee: Becky Whiteley; Half-time: 30-24

Results
Saturday 12 September
SUPER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS: Halifax Panthers 51 London Roosters 32.
CHAMPIONSHIP: Batley Bulldogs 32 Castleford Tigers 29; Midlands Hurricanes 26 Gravesend Dynamite 72; Rochdale Hornets 42 York 51; Wakefield Trinity 30 North Wales Crusaders 66.
Sunday 13 September
SUPER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS: Leeds Rhinos 76 Wigan Warriors 34.

Fixtures
Sunday 20 September
SUPER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL: Halifax Panthers v Leeds Rhinos (5.30pm, at Belle Rue Leisure Centre, Manchester)