REPORTS of HUNSLET ARLFC’S demise may be seriously misplaced.
The reigning champions, who have spent much of the campaign in the drop zone – and who are still in the bottom three, but only on points difference from Thatto Heath Crusaders – served notice that they are looking upwards rather than downwards, with a place in the play-offs not out of the question after a third successive win, a highly-impressive 22-16 victory over leaders WEST HULL.
Wests, who travelled to Leeds seeking a fourth victory on the hoof, were boosted by an early try by Jack Watts.
However Hunslet ARLFC were 12-4 up by the half-hour, Jordan Gale converting touchdowns by Harry Dodd and Oliver Whitford.
The visitors hit back through Robbie Jones, with Eligh Wilkinson adding the extras, but the hosts went in at the break 16-10 ahead, courtesy of Gale’s 39th-minute try.
Dodd nipped over a minute after the resumption, Gale improving. And that was how it stayed until the closing seconds when Kieran Masike crossed for what was nothing more than a consolation try, Wilkinson adding his second goal.
Remarkably second-placed WEST BOWLING lost by the same 22-16 margin, in their case at a WATH BROW HORNETS outfit who, like Hunslet ARLFC, have a long-standing pedigree.
The Bradford side travelled to Cumbria bidding for a sixth successive win and the match was very much in the balance, at 16-16, with 13 minutes left.
But the crucial try went to the Brow, who have now gone three games without defeat, Josh McConnell powering over and Greg Rooney landing his second goal.
There was no further score in a game in which Devan Sharp (Hornets) and Chris Anderson (Wests) were yellow carded ten minutes from time following an altercation.
Wath Brow, who had only trailed for a five-minute spell early in the second half, had previously posted tries by Clarke Riley and Connor Molyneaux, with Sam Curwen kicking three goals.
Bowling had been on level terms through touchdowns for Andrew Gabriel, Lewis Taylor and Richard Lumb, two of which Harry Williams converted.
SIDDAL are only two points adrift of West Hull and West Bowling (with a game in hand and a superior points difference) following a 38-6 win over bottom side DEWSBURY MOOR, who have lost all ten of their games to date.
Last season’s Grand Finalists were 24-0 ahead, through tries by Henry Turner, Josh Milnes, Macauley Higgins and Jamie Greenwood, before Harry Hartley nipped over for the Maroons four minutes before the break, Aiden Ineson converting.
Siddal resumed their ascendancy after the restart with unanswered touchdowns to Freddie Walker, Higgins and Turner, while Lewis Hosty booted his fifth goal.
Play-off aspirants WATERHEAD WARRIORS inflicted a third defeat on the trot on THATTO HEATH with a 62-16 scoreline.
The Crusaders were firmly in the contest three minutes into the second period, being level at 16-16 through tries by Alex Spearman, Keane Gilford and Lewis Foster, plus a couple of Sean Leicester goals.
But it was one-way traffic from then on, the Warriors dominating with second tries for Adam Robinson (who had been sinbinned on 25 minutes for a professional foul) and Jenson Hamilton. Callum Murphy also bagged a brace and Kegan Brennan finished with 26 points from two tries and nine goals. Other touchdowns went to Danny Bridge, Tim Bridge and Harrison Dodd.
LEIGH MINERS RANGERS are six points shy of Hunslet ARLFC after losing 24-18 to visitors YORK ACORN, who are only four points adrift of the top two.
Rangers were level at 18-18 at the break but Acorn took the spoils through the only try of the second period, by Josh Parker on the hour, with Jack Green adding his second goal to seal a third win in four outings.
Matt Chilton, Jordan Potter, Green and Luke Swales had crossed earlier for Acorn while Rangers, who have lost their last seven games, were unable to add to tries by Noah Lancelott, Dave Rowland and Isaac Hewitt, each of which Hewitt improved.
ROCHDALE MAYFIELD, who were seeking to leapfrog hosts LOCK LANE into seventh spot, led by a single point as time began to run out but were thwarted by a home try on 78 minutes by Leyton Davies, Morgan Punchard’s third goal ratifying an 18-13 success.
Danny Maskill and Lewis Price had notched the Lane’s earlier touchdowns while Mayfield registered what had looked like being the winning score – by Deacon Connolly, with Cole Connolly improving – despite having Jordan Parr sent off on the hour for alleged punching, with the Castleford side’s Danny Holmes being yellow carded at the same time for ‘taking the matter out of the hands of the referee’.
Mayfield’s Jake Ramsden opened the scoring on 26 minutes, Parr converting, while Cole Connolly broke a 6-6 interval deadlock with a field-goal.