SHEFFIELD EAGLES 50 WHITEHAVEN 14
DAN FOWLER, MEPS International Home of Football Stadium, Sunday

SHEFFIELD claimed a comprehensive victory with a second-half performance of the highest order against an injury-stricken Whitehaven.

With Reiss Butterworth and Jordan Abdull pulling the strings, Sheffield turned on the style by extending a two-score half-time lead into a more comfortable buffer with three tries in four minutes.

Whitehaven didn’t give up the ghost though, with forwards Brad Brennan and the Pearce pair of Jake and Ben constantly showing up with heavy contact.

The first half was certainly a contest and Whitehaven broke the deadlock with a penalty goal in the sixth minute. A penalty for a ball steal handed in-form halfback Ciaran Walker an easy two points.

With Abdull expected to run the show for Sheffield, it was fellow playmaker Kai Morgan who helped Sheffield get their first score of the afternoon – the ex-Salford man playing Connor Bower over for his second try in as many weeks. Abdull couldn’t convert.

After winning a penalty for a high shot, the Eagles were firmly on the front foot and they made the territory count as Abdull, Greg Eden and Alex Foster all combined to send Kieran Gill in. Abdull converted for 10-2 after 16 minutes. 

Whitehaven did hit back soon afterwards. Prop forward Brennan only knows one way and a drop-off ball to the big man was enough for the visitors to cut the deficit. Walker’s conversion made it a two-point game.

Home debutant Greg Eden was having more of a say in attack as the game went on and it was his connection with Gill that helped Billy Walkley over the line with five minutes of the half remaining. Morgan converted.

Whitehaven will have certainly wanted to come out of the traps quickly in an attempt to reduce their arrears in the early stages of the second half.

Unfortunately for James Newton’s men, it was the hosts who put their foot on the gas and that purple patch of three tries in quick succession ended the game as a contest.

Eden deserved a try and he got just that when he chimed into the line perfectly for a clear run to the line, with Abdull at the heart of the attack once more. 

The next set saw Sheffield smell blood and they managed to get Walkley away down the wing, his searing pace too much for the Haven defence despite a last-ditch effort from Jordan Burns, who was injured in the process.

Abdull certainly had Burns’ injury in mind during the restart set, an early kick trickled its way to a 40/20 with the Haven fullback only able to hobble his way downfield. From close range, Lewis Peachey twisted his way to four points. Morgan converted all three scores.

In the final quarter, Butterworth came to the fore with a couple of assists – the first a grubber for the returning Hodson to dot down before a lofted pass to Joe Brown saw the winger walk in. Morgan converted the first effort, but Abdull was off target with the second.

Both sides exchanged scores in the dying embers, Ben Pearce notching a consolation for the visitors from a Walker grubber before Eden supported a Walkley break to complete his brace. Both conversions – from Walker and Abdull respectively – were successful as Sheffield hit the half-century.

GAMESTAR: Reiss Butterworth was electric out of dummy-half for the Eagles.

GAMEBREAKER: The Eagles’ trio of tries early in the second half put the game out of Haven’s reach.

MATCHFACTS

EAGLES
28 Greg Eden
2 Joe Brown
19 Will Oakes
4 Kieran Gill
5 Billy Walkley
6 Kai Morgan
27 Jordan Abdull
16 Blake Broadbent
9 Corey Johnson
10 Martyn Reilly
11 Connor Bower
23 Alex Foster
15 George Griffin
Subs (all used)
3 Josh Hodson
13 Jack Bussey
14 Reiss Butterworth
20 Lewis Peachey

Tries: Bower (13), Gill (16), Walkley (35, 50), Eden (48, 79), Peachey (52), Hodson (61), Brown (67)
Goals: Abdull 2/4, Morgan 5/5

WHITEHAVEN
1 Jordan Burns
19 Dave Eccleston
2 Mitchell Todd
4 Ethan Bickerdike
5 Jay Weatherill
6 Ciaran Walker
7 Jack Newbegin
24 Lewis Brown
9 Ellison Holgate
16 Brad Brennan
11 Connor Holliday
23 Ben Pearce
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
8 Jake Pearce
12 Rio McQuistan
15 Ellis Nixon
35 Jackson Smith

Tries: Brennan (21), B Pearce (74)
Goals: Walker 3/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 4-2, 10-2, 10-8, 16-8; 22-8, 28-8, 34-8, 40-8, 44-8, 44-14, 50-14

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eagles: Reiss Butterworth; Whitehaven: Brad Brennan

Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 16-8
Referee: Denton Arnold
Attendance: 502