WHITEHAVEN 24 DEWSBURY RAMS 24
JORDAN WEIR, Ortus REC, Sunday
BOTH sides had opportunities to win and will feel they could have done so, but overall, a draw was a fair result.
An ill-tempered game was littered with 24 penalties and three yellow cards, with Whitehaven counting the cost of an ever-growing injury list as Aaron Turnbull and Jordan Thomson were forced off in the first half.
Dewsbury scored the opening two tries with Louis Collinson getting the first. The Rams were allowed to march upfield on the back of a penalty and utilising quick play-the-balls, and the loose-forward barged over from short range.
Then veteran halfback Paul Sykes rolled back the years to grab his first of the season. Dewsbury were once again gifted field possession through a penalty for a high tackle on George Senior behind his own try-line and Whitehaven then conceded a set restart. Sykes threw an outrageous dummy which opened up the defence, and with Jacob Hookem converting both tries, it was 12-0.
The first sinbinning seemed to come as part of a totting-up process as Dewsbury captain Matt Garside was spoken to. Soon after when Jack Kellett was tackled over the ball by Garside, he was carded.
Whitehaven struck twice before the break while the opposition were down to twelve, with Cameron Brown notching following a neat grubber from halfback partner Kieran Tyrer (Jay Weatherill converted) before Mitchell Todd neatly finished in the right-hand corner.
The scores were levelled in the early stages of the second half following a penalty for a high tackle, Weatherill making no mistake on this occasion.
Whitehaven took the lead for the first time after territory was again gifted to them, with Connor Holliday crashing in on the right. Weatherill converted for an 18-12 lead.
It didn’t last long, however, as a yellow card was shown to Ethan Bickerdike for his part in a dangerous tackle, and after Keenen Tomlinson threatened, Will Shaw was able to dance over from dummy-half, with Hookem’s goal making it 18-18.
Penalties continued to be central to the contest, and Whitehaven were pulled up, Jamie Field went over on 62 minutes after good work by Dec Tomlinson, with Hookem’s goal putting Dewsbury 24-18 up.
But Whitehaven soon hit back to level again and set up a grandstand finish. Tyrer’s kick hit the chest of Sykes and went high in the air. Brown was the quickest to react and grounded his second of the afternoon, with Weatherill converting.
The game looked to have been won when Tyrer broke down the left on the back of a loose last-tackle pass. He ran 45 metres before passing inside to Weatherill, who had the line begging, but Senior pulled off a fine tackle.
After Jack McShane was sinbinned for a high tackle, Weatherill’s penalty attempt was wide, then Brown’s field-goal effort was off target.
GAMESTAR: Dewsbury fullback Craig McShane was at the heart of everything his side created.
GAMEBREAKER: George Senior’s late tackle on Jay Weatherill saved a certain Whitehaven try.
MATCHFACTS
WHITEHAVEN
5 Jay Weatherill
32 Mitchell Todd
3 Chris Taylor
4 Ethan Bickerdike
22 Max Anderson-Moore
6 Kieran Tyrer
20 Cameron Brown
18 Aaron Turnbull
9 Ellison Holgate
10 Jordan Thomson
11 Connor Holliday
21 Ellis Nixon
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
16 Brad Brennan
14 Luke Collins
17 Karl Garner
12 Clarke Chambers
Tries: Brown (35, 67), Todd (39), Holliday (45)
Goals: Weatherill 4/6
Sin bin: Bickerdike (50) – dangerous tackle
RAMS
30 Craig McShane
27 Tom Delaney
3 Caelum Jordan
4 George Senior
22 Liam Copland
26 Paul Sykes
7 Jacob Hookem
18 Jamie Field
31 Jack McShane
13 Dec Tomlinson
15 Keenen Tomlinson
12 Matt Garside
16 Louis Collinson
Subs (all used)
23 Will Shaw
10 Toby Everett
8 Jackson Walker
35 Jamie Gill
Tries: Collinson (12), Sykes (22), Shaw (51), Field (62)
Goals: Hookem 4/4
Sin bin: Garside (29) – late tackle, J McShane (76) – high tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 6-12, 10-12; 12-12, 18-12, 18-18, 18-24, 24-24
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Whitehaven: Brad Brennan; Rams: Craig McShane
Penalty count: 18-6
Half-time: 10-12
Referee: Luke Bland
Attendance: 626
