THE first round of this year’s Wheelchair Super League was played on Saturday with the four semi-final favourites all starting with comprehensive victories.
LEEDS RHINOS opened their account in style as, following their Challenge Cup first-round win over York, they hit the century mark for the second match in a row, beating EDINBURGH GIANTS 116-12.
Their international players put the Scots to the sword in the first half as they swept into a 64-0 advantage.
England star Nathan Collins showed his class with five tries and ten goals, while his international teammate Josh Butler went over for a first half hat-trick, as did Wales captain Jodie Boyd-Ward.
The scores were spread around a little more in the second half, but Collins did manage a further two tries and eight goals, with Boyd-Ward scoring her fourth try of the match.
Tristan Norfolk claimed a hat-trick of tries, Ewan Clibbens scored two and Cam Hills one.
Edinburgh’s replies came from Calum Davidson and Olivia Fulton, with Davidson adding both goals.
HALIFAX PANTHERS were a point off a century for the second match in a row as they beat newcomers BRADFORD BULLS 99-18.
England international Rob Hawkins dominated proceedings with eight tries and three goals. Finlay O’Neill managed four tries and a field-goal, Jack Brown also added two one-pointers to go with his brace of tries, whilst Joseph Calcott also crossed twice.
All of Halifax’s players got over the line, with Nathan Holmes, Jack Stockton, Tom Martin and Wayne Boardman, who also kicked five goals, all going over for a single score.
Bradford’s first Super League tries came from Keiron Johnson, Scott Pyrah and Dan McGrath, with Johnson converting all.
WIGAN WARRIORS also made a statement of intent by winning 75-20 against SHEFFIELD EAGLES.
They were 45-6 up at half-time thanks to two tries each for Jack Heggie and Adam Rigby, plus scores for Chris Greenhaigh, Toby Burton-Carter, Oran Spain and Matt Turner. Heggie kicked six conversions and a field-goal.
He then opened the second half by completing a hat-trick of tries. Turner also went up to three as he touched down twice more, Spain added his second, while his Ireland teammate Mel Griffith scored Wigan’s final try. Converting that one was another Ireland international in Toby Burton-Carter, after Heggie had converted the previous four.
Ben Simpson put a try and goal on the board for Sheffield in the first half. Noah Jennings, Sid Ramsey and Luis Domingos followed him over after the break, with Joe Wink-Simmonds adding a conversion as the final points of the game.
LONDON ROOSTERS, in their quest to win a first-ever trophy, started superbly by beating Hull FC 70-30.
Joe Coyd showed his class by scoring five tries and five goals, with Jason Owen adding six further goals. Mason Billington went over for a hat-trick of tries, with Lewis King going in twice. Max Owen and Ellie Cockerton notched the other tries.
For Hull, Josh Edwards scored three tries and five goals, with Billy Swainger and Liam Stancliffe also going over.
In the Championship, NORTH WALES CRUSADERS beat an understrength but plucky MIDLANDS HURRICANES 48-28.
Wales internationals Jonathan Gill and Martin Turner, who converted all eight tries, went over for hat-tricks, with Fionn McCabe scoring twice.
For Midlands, Jacob Robinson scored a brace of tries, the Wales head coach Alan Caron added one, as did Alan Sheriff and Seb Groves, with the latter also hitting over four goals.
BATLEY BULLDOGS beat YORK KNIGHTS 76-40. Adam Bingham was player of the match after directing the Bulldogs out of a 14-point deficit, scoring a hat-trick.
Castleford Tigers v Rochdale Hornets was postponed and will now be played on Sunday, May 3.
Results
Saturday 11 April
SUPER LEAGUE: Bradford Bulls 18 Halifax Panthers 99; Edinburgh Giants 12 Leeds Rhinos 116; Hull FC 30 London Roosters 70; Wigan Warriors 75 Sheffield Eagles 20.
CHAMPIONSHIP: Castleford Tigers v Rochdale Hornets -pp; Batley Bulldogs 76 York 40; North Wales Crusaders 48 Midlands Hurricanes 28.
Sunday 12 April
CHAMPIONSHIP: Gravesend Dynamite XX Wakefield Trinity XX.
Fixtures
Saturday 18 April
CHALLENGE CUP (QUARTER-FINALS): Bradford Bulls v Wigan Warriors; Edinburgh Giants v Leeds Rhinos; Halifax Panthers v Hull FC; London Roosters v Sheffield Eagles.
Table
Leeds Rhinos 2 pts
Halifax Panthers 2 pts
Wigan Warriors 2 pts
London Roosters 2 pts
Hull FC 0 pts
Sheffield Eagles 0 pts
Bradford Bulls 0 pts
Edinburgh Giants 0 pts