MIDLANDS HURRICANES 98 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 0
IAN GOLDEN, Avery Fields, Sunday

IT was an easy victory for Midlands as they smashed all their league records – the most tries, goals and points in a match, biggest victory and largest winning margin – but North Wales denied their hosts a club-record victory after a resilient last ten minutes.

Sully Medforth also broke two club records. His 15 goals and 38 points are the best in a game by an individual, beating his own marks set in 110-0 triumph at home to Aberavon Fighting Irish in the Challenge Cup second round in January.

At one point, it looked like the Hurricanes were also going to break records from that match, played on the same day Crusaders beat Bedford by the same scoreline. The visitors were at least able to deny Midlands on those counts.

Both sides really have more of an eye on the forthcoming days. For Midlands, it’s a home tie against Whitehaven in the first round of the play-offs, for North Wales, survival as they hope to find out whether they’ve been granted an RFL licence for 2027.

It was a party atmosphere in Birmingham, with Midlands chairman Mike Lomas leading the support on his trumpet, and the travelling contingent being among the largest and most boisterous of the season.

But it took until the eighth minute for Midlands to take the lead, and that was following a six-again. It was a fine set of passes which gave Liam Sutcliffe the chance to force his way over for his first try in Midlands colours. Medforth landed the first of 15 conversions from 16 attempts.

Three further tries were quickly added. From the kick-off, Sutcliffe was now creator as he made a strong run to set up Todd Horner, who scored between the posts. Matty Chrimes went over wide out three minutes later (Medforth’s only miss from the tee), before Lewis Else also went through.

North Wales’ best chance of the first half was created by a former Midlands player. Matty Welham, who scored 31 tries in 53 games for the club from 2022 to 2024, ran 40 metres on this play, but in the end, the opportunity was squandered.

When Midlands went back on to the attack, they scored, Horner going in through the sticks, with the goal making it 28-0.

The scoring continued, despite Ryan Johnson being sent to the sin bin on 25 minutes. Two after that incident, Zeus Silk sprinted 50 metres to score between the posts, then Chrimes found a gap which shouldn’t have existed to score his second of the day, before fumbling the ball into touch to blow his chances of a first-half hat-trick.

Medforth went in centrally for the eighth try, following two successive penalties, and added his seventh conversion to put the interval score up to 46-0.

It took less than 70 second-half seconds for Oliver Roberts to bring up the half-century, but North Wales could have quickly had a try back, as they parked Midlands on their own line for a full set, but like a lot of their play in this game, they just didn’t have that extra bit of nous and power to break through.

The ball was handed over and one tackle later, Medforth ran down a wing to score, adding the two.

A good run from Chrimes secured his hat-trick, Sutcliffe went in for his second, then Johnson sprinted through a gap.

On the hour, Medforth’s twelfth goal made it 76-0, just four points less than Midlands’ total at the same stage in their win over Aberavon.

Aidan McGowan was over on 63 minutes. Johnson was next on 66, and at this point, four more converted tries would have beaten that 110-0 cup score.

North Wales did well to slow down the scoring, even winning a goal-line drop-out, but they were tiring, and McGowan found it too easy to score with Medforth kicking his 15th conversion of the game.

Cian Tyrer had to work hard to score the final try in the last play of the game, Chrimes was given the task of kicking from wide out to bring up the century, but it sailed off target.

GAMESTAR: Despite receiving a yellow card, Midlands secondrow Ryan Johnson stood out with his workrate.

GAMEBREAKER: When Zeus Silk scored the Hurricanes’ sixth try, the first of three when they were down to twelve in the first half, the contest was as good as won.

MATCHFACTS

HURRICANES
1 Todd Horner
2 Matty Chrimes
31 Liam Sutcliffe
4 Ross Oakes
22 Cian Tyrer
19 Sully Medforth
7 Lewis Else
8 Jon Luke Kirby
26 Ethan Newboult
10 Tyler Dickinson
11 Tom Wilkinson
3 Ryan Johnson
12 Oliver Roberts
Subs (all used)
15 Elliot Morris
16 Zeus Silk
23 Aidan McGowan
32 Chris Cullimore

Tries: Sutcliffe (8, 53), Horner (11, 22), Chrimes (14, 31, 49), Else (17), Silk (27), Medforth (36, 45), Roberts (42), Johnson (58, 66), McGowan (63, 75), Tyrer (79)
Goals: Medforth 15/16, Chrimes 0/1
Sin bin: Johnson (25) – contact with back of knee

CRUSADERS
2 Will Lever
14 Joe Bradley
4 Sam Littler
12 Marcus Geener
1 Isaac Wheatley
6 Matty Welham
7 Ben Fisher
26 Connor Terrill
9 Jamie Billsborough
16 Stevie Watson
15 Logan Stott
10 James Shields
25 Ralph Wood
Subs (all used)
8 Harry Coleman
17 Jamie Fozard
18 Sam Roden
21 Jason Kay

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 16-0, 22-0, 28-0, 34-0, 40-0, 46-0; 52-0, 58-0, 64-0, 70-0, 76-0, 82-0, 88-0, 94-0, 98-0

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hurricanes: Ryan Johnson; Crusaders: Matty Welham

Penalty count: 9-2
Half-time: 46-0
Referee: Luke Bland
Attendance: 363