BATLEY BULLDOGS 24 HUNSLET 28
ROB WALLACE, Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, Friday
HUNSLET recorded their first two points of the Championship season with a superb win over Batley, with Billy Jowitt scoring two first-half tries and adding four goals for a total of 16 points as his team defied the pre-match odds.
Batley’s line-up saw two changes after their victory over London last week, with Elliot Kear and Brandon Moore coming into the starting line-up, replacing Alfie Dean and Cain Staveley-Carr.
Hunslet only made one change following their loss to Halifax, with Aaron Levy coming into the starting line-up and Ethan Wood dropping to the bench.
Hunslet opened the scoring down the hill after three minutes from a Batley error. The ball was sent to the left for Lee Gaskell to send Jowitt over for a converted try.
And Gaskell sent Jowitt away down the left again from the restart from halfway and the centre raced downfield, rounding the fullback to touch down to the left of the posts for a twelve-point lead.
Batley came back into the game when a Coby Nichol error, followed by a penalty, allowed them to feed Jayden Myers, who sent Jack Render over in the corner for an unconverted try.
Josh Woods then set up a chance for Robbie Butterworth to dance and spin his way over to score, this time with Woods adding the conversion.
But Hunslet asserted their authority when Lachlan Hanneghan weaved his way to the line before Aaron Levy won the race to score down the right edge following Hanneghan’s kick to the in-goal area for a 10-22 lead, which lasted through to the interval.
Batley came out for the second half, with their coach’s words ringing in their ears, looking to assert early pressure down the slope.
They looked certain to score when Butterworth attacked down the left, but Nichol had other ideas and intercepted the fullback’s pass to race 90 metres to score, fending off Render in the process. Jowitt added the touchline conversion to take the score to 10-28.
The next score was going to be vital and it was the Bulldogs who registered it, when a smart move down the left saw Kear find Joe Burton, who raced over in the left corner.
The gap was now 14 points and Alistair Leak narrowed it further with ten minutes remaining, scooting over from short range. Woods added the conversion to set up a tense end to the game.
Buoyed by a penalty, Batley were attacking with purpose and a smart play saw Kear loop round from the left and end up on the right to create an extra man and dummy his way over into the right corner. Woods missed the conversion to bring the score with eight minutes remaining to 24-28.
Hunslet held out to survive the Bulldogs’ onslaught, with Gaskell shooting out of the line to make a try-saving tackle and secure a vital win.
GAMESTAR: Billy Jowitt scored 16 points for Hunslet and helped them to a crucial first win of the season.
GAMEBREAKER: Coby Nichol’s 90-metre effort gave Hunslet an unassailable 18-point advantage and gave them the confidence to hang on.
MATCHFACTS
BULLDOGS
1 Robbie Butterworth
19 Jack Render
28 Jayden Myers
5 Elliot Kear
2 Joe Burton
6 Ben White
7 Josh Woods
8 Adam Gledhill
23 Jonah Parsons
13 James Brown
3 Ollie Greensmith
17 Luke Blake
14 Brandon Moore
Subs (all used)
9 Alistair Leak
15 Nyle Flynn
16 Michael Ward
27 Isaac Shaw
Tries: Render (12), Butterworth (17), Burton (56), Leak (70), Kear (72)
Goals: Woods 2/5
HUNSLET
1 Jimmy Watson
21 Coby Nichol
19 Liam Welham
4 Billy Jowitt
2 Mackenzie Scurr
6 Lachlan Hanneghan
38 Lee Gaskell
31 Kevin Larroyer
14 Cam Berry
17 Keelan Foster
22 Harrison Gilmore
12 Aaron Levy
10 Matt Fletcher
Subs (all used)
8 Harvey Hallas
11 Ethan Wood
13 Jordan Syme
26 Ethan O‘Hanlon
Tries: Jowitt (3, 5), Hanneghan (24), Levy (28), Nichol (47)
Goals: Jowitt 4/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 6-12, 10-12, 10-18, 10-22; 10-28, 14-28, 20-28, 24-28
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Elliot Kear; Hunslet: Billy Jowitt
Penalty count: 7-2
Half-time: 10-22
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte
Attendance: 1,613
