A magnificent hat-trick from Kieran Dixon steered Hull KR to a priceless win in the race for the top eight as they beat Wakefield Trinity Wildcats to haul Chris Chester’s side back into the race to avoid the bottom four after a 54-16 win.
The Wildcats have now lost two games in succession following this latest defeat and, should results go against them this weekend, they could find themselves just four points clear of the bottom quartet after a comprehensive defeat at the hands of former coach James Webster and the dazzling Robins.
Dixon scored three tries, one in the first half and two more in the second to steer the Robins home in a game they never fell behind in.
He would break the deadlock before Albert Kelly made it 10-0 soon after, with the triumvirate of Kelly, Terry Campese and Shaun Lunt running riot in the opening stages. And after turning down a certain two points to make it 12-0, the Robins took advantage further when James Greenwood crashed over on the angle.
Trinity fans were soon voicing their discontent as Shaun Lunt glided through a gap after another KR break to make it 20-0, and although Bill Tupou and Mikey Sio scored either side of a James Green try, the Wildcats were always being held at arm’s length, it seemed.
Any hopes of a comeback were snuffed out when Dixon scored his second shortly after a Craig Hall try for Wakefield, before a fine handling move put the former London flier over for his hat-trick.
Greenwood would later pounce on an error from Tupou to make it yet another Hull KR try, before Kelly rounded the scoring off with yet another long-range finish.
There was still time for one more try too to bring up the 50-point barrier for KR: and it was a beauty, as Campese’s weighted kick found Maurice Blair unchallenged. And with Wigan, St Helens and Warrington in their next three games, this may yet turn out to be an absolutely huge win for the Robins in the race for the Super 8s.