MIDLANDS HURRICANES 58 NEWCASTLE THUNDER 4
IAN GOLDEN Alexander Stadium, Sunday

MIDLANDS ran in ten tries to ensure Newcastle finished the season without a win.

Hurricanes have been off-form and injury-ravaged, and that showed in the second half, when after being very impressive for the first 50 minutes, they, and the contest as a whole, fizzled out for the final half-hour.

Had Thunder conceded 66 points in this game, and it looked like it was going that way for a while, it would have been 1,000 leaked for them for this league campaign, but in the end, they were saved that four-figure fate.

Ross Oakes went in for the opening Midlands try on ten minutes, running over from a scrum, and it was all the home side deserved as they’d been attacking with gusto. Will Brough converted, as he would do for every try in the first half.

Then after earning a goal-line drop-out, Midlands got their second. It was from just the second tackle after the ball was pouched on halfway that Aiden Roden dodged past everyone and sprinted 40 metres to score under the sticks.

The third try came on 20 minutes and again from a scrum, but this time on Midlands’ 30-metre line. No one was able to stop Ryan Johnson as he ran through to notch.

And following a 40-20 attempt which went wrong for Newcastle, Midlands regained possession on their visitors’ 30-metre line, and it wasn’t long before Jon Luke Kirby dived over from close range.

From kick-off, Midlands scored again, a well-worked set ending in Kirby diving over in similar fashion for his second and Midlands’ fifth.

There was some hope of a try back for Newcastle after forcing Midlands into a drop-out, but the chance was wasted when they gave away a penalty when on the attack.

From that kick to touch, it was another good set and Lewis Peachey dived over.

Two minutes before the break, Aaron Willis eased over for Midlands’ seventh try of the match. Brough’s kick made it 42-0 to the Birmingham team.

Six minutes after the restart, Wales international Sam Bowring, in his comeback game after picking up an injury in the first match of the season, danced over the line for the first try of the second half. Brough converted again.

The half-century was brought up on 51 minutes when Cian Tyrer outran everyone when chasing a long kick and grounded just before the ball went over the dead-ball line. Brough missed a kick for the first time in the match.

It took almost 25 minutes for the next score, after a period of play littered with errors from both sides as the game descended into an unattractive end-of-season slog.

It didn’t help that Newcastle struggled to take their chances, constantly mishandling in the times they were near to the line, and Midlands seemed to have run out of steam.

And after winning a six-again, Newcastle finally got over the line with five minutes to go, a reward for their second-half efforts.

Jake Dickinson scored wide out, but Alex Donaghy’s conversion attempt hit a post.

But Midlands finished on a high. Roden battled over for his second try with a minute remaining, and Brough kicked the goal as the hooter sounded.

GAMESTAR: Midlands hooker Aiden Roden deserved his two tries.

GAMEBREAKER: Hurricanes scored seven converted tries in the first half and there was no coming back for Newcastle.

MATCHFACTS
HURRICANES
1 Todd Horner
24 Matty Hanley
3 Ryan Johnson
4 Ross Oakes
37 Cian Tyrer
0 Will Brough
38 Ritchie Hawkyard
8 Jon Luke Kirby
14 Aiden Roden
17 Kieran Moran
15 Aaron Willis
12 Josh Jordan-Roberts
13 Mikey Wood
Subs (all used):
10 Sam Bowring
26 Ethan Newboult
27 Liam Kirk
34 Lewis Peachey

Tries: Oakes (10), Roden (14, 79), Johnson (20), Kirby (25, 28), Peachey (32), Willis (38), Bowring (46), Tyrer (51)
Goals: Brough 9/10

THUNDER
1 Brad Ward
2 Leo Bradley
3 Evan Lawther
4 Jake Dickinson
5 Sean Croston
6 Alex Donaghy
7 Elliot Shaw
8 Harry Price
9 Alfie Horwell
10 Harry Lowery
18 Alex Taylor
12 Woody Walker
13 Tyler Walton
Subs (all used):
14 Will Lintin
15 George Birch
16 Tobias Gibson
17 David Weetman

Tries: Dickinson (75)
Goals: Donaghy 0/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 30-0, 36-0, 42-0; 48-0, 52-0, 52-4, 58-4

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hurricanes: Aiden Roden
Thunder: Alex Donaghy

Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 42-0
Referee: Adam Williams
Attendance: 275