
NEWCASTLE THUNDER 0 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 60
SEB STERNIK, Crow Trees, Blaydon, Sunday
NORTH WALES continued their high-scoring start to the season with a second crushing win – this time over Newcastle.
Following the previous week’s 52-0 Challenge Cup romp at Cornwall, Carl Forster’s side ran in twelve tries in the opposite corner of England to set up an 1895 Cup second preliminary round clash against professional newcomers Goole.
For Newcastle’s young and inexperienced side, this was yet another tough lesson and another heavy defeat. Thunder, who also have ten players on the injury list, now have more than a month to prepare for their League One opener against Swinton.
It only took the Crusaders four minutes to get ahead as the Welsh side made the most of a penalty before stretching the Newcastle defence and setting up Sam Wilde for the opening try.
Just a few minutes later, Jack Holmes doubled that 4-0 lead after capitalising on a terrific break from Lloyd Roby.
Paddy Jones used his brute force to try and score under the sticks on the quarter-hour mark, only to be halted at close quarters. Seconds later, however, Joe Baldwin was able to sneak his way over from dummy-half, and Roby’s first conversion made it 14-0.
Things went from bad to worse for Newcastle when Jack Skelton was sent to the sin bin for a high-tackle, and the Crusaders quickly took advantage as Wilde bagged his second of the match.
With half an hour on the clock, North Wales scored their fifth try courtesy of Jordy Gibson, who dummied his way through the Thunder defence before crashing over.
Newcastle had their moments and came close to scoring their first points of the season through Skelton – who returned from the bin – and Harry Price, but both men were kept at bay by a resilient Crusaders defence.
The visitors soon turned defence into attack and squeezed one more try on the board before the interval with Gibson capitalising on a powerful drive from Wilde.
The second half started in a similar fashion to the first – with a Crusaders try. On this occasion, it was Ollie Brookes who crossed the whitewash after a link-up with Wilde.
Five minutes later, North Wales were in again after some quick hands allowed Matt Reid to score.
Again, Newcastle did create opportunities, but a lack of a clinical edge meant they couldn’t quite penetrate the Crusaders defence.
Instead, it was the visitors who continued to dish out a lesson in finishing as Jake Spedding added his name to the ever-growing try-scorer list.
Roby, who kicked three conversions earlier in the match, improved his individual points total with a try in the 66th minute.
Josh Eaves and Holmes bagged two more efforts as Gibson’s conversions took Crusaders to 60 points.
GAMESTAR: Lloyd Roby ran the show for the visitors and featured prominently on the scoresheet.
GAMEBREAKER: North Wales’s three tries in the first 15 minutes set the tone for the rest of the match.
MATCHFACTS
THUNDER
1 Alex Donaghy
2 Leo Bradley
3 Mike Hansen
4 Jacob Rennison
5 Jake Dickinson
6 Charlie Yeomans
7 Elliot Shaw
8 Jack Skelton
9 Will Lintin
10 Josh Stoker
11 Alex Taylor
12 George Birch
13 Harry Price
Subs (all used)
14 Matty Rolls
15 Matty Handy
16 Gabriel Parker
17 Will Bate
Sin bin: Skelton (22) – high tackle
CRUSADERS
1 Lloyd Roby
2 Jack Holmes
4 Matt Reid
20 Jake Spedding
21 Ollie Brookes
6 Toby Hughes
7 Jordy Gibson
8 Jack Houghton
14 Joe Baldwin
18 Liam Cooper
16 Ryan Ellis
11 Sam Wilde
23 Paddy Jones
Subs (all used)
19 Josh Eaves
12 Cole Oakley
13 Olly Davies
10 Chris Barratt
Tries: Wilde (4, 24), Holmes (8, 77), Baldwin (15), Gibson (30, 39), Brookes (43), Reid (48), Spedding (55), Roby (66), Eaves (68)
Goals: Roby 3/7, Gibson 3/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-8, 0-14, 0-20, 0-24, 0-30; 0-34, 0-38, 0-44, 0-48, 0-54, 0-60
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Thunder: Harry Price; Crusaders: Lloyd Roby
Penalty count: 3-7
Half-time: 0-30
Referee: Andy Sweet