DAVIS LEADS WAY AS WOLVES MAUL ROVERS
FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 0
WARRINGTON WOLVES 48
JAC DAVIES, Millennium Stadium, Sunday
WARRINGTON WOLVES overcame a wet and windy afternoon in Featherstone to score forty-eight unanswered points, cementing their place as the number one side in the second tier of the Betfred Women’s Super League.
Both sides went into the clash with unbeaten records this year, and very little separating them in the table, so it was little surprise this was billed as the clash of the competition.
However Featherstone looked off the pace from the outset and with Warrington’s Michelle Davis (pictured) unplayable for much of the game, it was perhaps little surprise that the Wolves dominated from the off.
An early try from Charlie Magraw, deftly converted by Davis took the wind out of Featherstone’s sails after just four minutes, and from there the Wolves never gave up.
A brilliant pass from Charlotte Foley put Emily Downes in for Wolves second, before Davis, who was given the space to run riot all afternoon, crossed for a brace to see the Wire take a commanding 22 point advantage at the break.
In the second half, with the gradient at Post Office Road working against them, Rovers struggled to get back into the game. They found their way close to the tryline on several occasions only to come up short or to have forced frustrating handling errors where composure may have paid off.
Emily Baggeley opened the second half scoring for the visitors, the product of some superb link up play with Charlotte Foley. Magraw grabbed her second try of the afternoon after Warrington had weathered a period of Rovers pressure.
Then came the try of the game from Georgia Sutherland, who used her strength and power to hand off to beat the defender on the left edge and then her pace to run behind to score under the sticks.
Davis, who had a hand in everything for Warrington wrapped up her hat-trick in style, finding the space she needed to slalom through the defence.
Claire Mullaney completed the scoring for Warrington, crashing over from short range to rub salt into the wounds for Featherstone.
Rovers will be looking to bounce back against Wakefield next Sunday whereas Warrington will need to wait until June 26 for their next game as they host Leigh Miners.
GAMEBREAKER: When Emily Baggaley scored the first try of the second half it was increasingly clear there was no way back for Rovers.
GAMESTAR: Michelle Davis had the midas touch for Warrington, creator and points scorer.
ROVERS
1 Fran Copley
2 Ellie Lamb
3 Chloe Billington
4 Natalie Carr
5 Lucy Attree
6 Dani Waters
7 Jessie Matthews
8 Shannelle Mannion
9 Charley Blackburn
10 Zoe Teece
11 Amie Backhouse
12 Gabie Harrison
13 Tilly Churm
Subs (all used)
14 Kirsty Higo
15 Hannah Watt
16 Lucy Richardson
17 Brogan Kennedy
WOLVES
1 Michelle Davis
2 Carlize Magraw
3 Emily Baggaley
4 Georgia Westwood
5 Georgia Sutherland
6 Lucy Eastwood
7 Charlotte Foley
8 Amani Pitt
9 Danielle Bound
10 Amy Johnson
11 Emily Downs
12 Katie Williams
13 Amy Daniels
Subs (all used)
14 Catherine Davies
15 Fern Davies
16 Claire Mullaney
17 Shereen McCartney
Tries: Magraw (4, 51), Downs (14), Davis (20, 34, 65), Baggaley (47), Sutherland (57), Mullaney (78)
Goals: Davis 6/9
Rugby Leaguer & League Express
Women of the Match
Rovers: Chloe Billington
Wolves: Michelle Davis
Half-time: 0-22
Referee: Harry Forster
Attendance: 278
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-22; 0-28, 0-32, 0-38, 0-42, 0-48
+++++
ROUND UP
YORK CITY KNIGHTS maintained their lead at the top of the league, despite playing the entire second half of their game against Leeds a player down after Rhiannion Marshall was red carded on the stroke of half time.
With the scores tied up at 4-4, Marshall reacted to something that happened as the Leeds defenders were trying to bring her down and it appeared punches were thrown so the red card was shown to Marshall, while Leeds’ Jasmine Earnshaw-Cudjoe was also sin binned.
Leeds started the game brightly and were asking questions of the current table toppers, and their pressure soon told when Zoe Hornby took a short pass from Georgia Roche to crash over. Sam Hulme was unable to add the extras in the absence of Courtney Winfield-Hill, who missed out through Covid.
But indiscipline eventually cost Leeds and back to back penalties for York gave them territory and allowed Tara Jane Stanley to take advantage and burst through a gap on the right wing to touch down. She was unable to add the conversion and it was level as the tensions erupted on the hooter.
The second half started in similar vein as the first, but this time it was York that found the breakthrough first as Alisha Clayton powered her way through next to the posts. Stanley added the conversion and then made it a two-score lead with a successful penalty goal.
As the game approached the final quarter Leeds pulled themselves back into it through Hornby’s second, converted by Hulme, but further York tries from Tamzin Renouf and Olivia Wood, both converted by Stanley secured a 24-10 win for the City Knights, who remain unbeaten in Group One.
WIGAN WARRIORS picked up their first win of the season, scoring six tries to beat HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 18-30.
The Warriors got off to the best possible start through a Rebecca Greenfield try with just a few minutes on the clock, but then had to wait until midway through the first half to increase their lead when Emma Dwyer dived over from close range, giving Georgia Wilson a relatively straightforward conversion.
It was all Wigan after that until the break, Greenfield crossed for a second, before Wilson raced away down field to make it 20-0 at half time.
The Giants came back out firing and scored a quick fire double through Frankie Townend and Ellie Thompson to temporarily reduce the arrears before Beth Hayes added Wigan’s fifth of the afternoon, converted by Jodie Morris.
Huddersfield responded immediately when Bethan Oates crossed from close range, but when Wigan’s Anna Davis collected Hayes’ offload to dive in at the corner, with less than 20 minutes remaining the Warriors had the game wrapped up.
Amelia Brown scored a late consolation for the Giants in the closing minutes, with Rebekah Grady’s conversion rounding off the scoring.
Elsewhere in Group Two, BARROW RAIDERS paid the ultimate tribute to assistant coach Alex Broadway, who tragically passed away on Friday, by beating LEIGH MINERS RANGERS 40-6.
Kate Birchall opened the scoring for Barrow in a highly emotional match at the Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium, before Keli Morris pulled a score back for Leigh, converted by Kirsty Millington.
In a close first-half Jodie Litherland added another try and a successful conversion before the break to make it 10-6 to the hosts.
But Barrow opened up in the second half and ran in six more tries to secure their first victory of the season. Vanessa Temple crossed twice after the break, while Litherland and Birchall also completed their doubles. Sam Norman and Claire Hutchinson also crossed while Litherland added two more goals.
The final kick of the afternoon however was take by Beth Lindsay, Broadway’s step-daughter, who choose to play in his honour.
BRADFORD BULLS beat WAKEFIELD TRINITY 28-10 on Saturday to make it back to back wins.
The game was only three minutes old when Bradford worked the ball out wide for Lily Williams to go over in the corner and 10 minutes later that lead doubled when fullback Emily Heaps was on the end of a nice passage of play. Millie Bell added a third midway through the first half, with Cara Cookland adding her first conversion to make it 14-0 to the visitors at the Be Well Support Stadium.
That was how it stayed until half time despite Wakefield going close and having an Olivia Cummins effort ruled out for a forward pass.
Just minutes after the restart Wakefield pulled themselves back into it when Megan Preston regathered her own kick to touchdown, and when debutant Sophia Liu took on the Bradford line and darted out of dummy half to score the fightback looked to be on.
But tries in the last 15 minutes from Evie Kilburn and a brace from Hannah Donald, plus another Cookland conversion saw the Bulls home.
+++++++
Saturday, 4th June
Women’s Super League – Group Two
Wakefield Trinity 10 Bradford Bulls 28
Trinity: T – Preston, Liu; G – Taylor
Bulls: T – Williams, Heaps, Bell, Kilburn, Donald 2; G – Cookland 2
Half-time: 0-14
Trinity: Amy Bennett; Brooke Price, Megan Preston, Lisa Taylor, Olivia Cummins; Abby Price, Abbie Millward; Cassy Lawson, Alisha Nix, Nat Romano, Kacey Davies, Leonie Lawson, Lara Dalby. Subs: Sophia Liu, Grace Firth, Emilia Povell-Clarke, Hebe Forbes
Bulls: Emily Heaps; Lily Williams, Elena Powell, Bailey Alexander, Hollie Burton; Millie Bell, Cara Cookland; Alice Fisher, Evie Kilburn, Abigail Pinder, Jess Hopkins, Jess Harrap, Ebony Haley. Subs: Hannah Donald, Hermani Grace, Kirstie Musgrave, Claire Collins.
Sunday, 5th June
Women’s Super League Group 1
Huddersfield Giants 18 Wigan Warriors 30
Giants: T – Townend, Thompson, Oates, Brown; G – Grady
Warriors: T – Greenfield 2, Dwyer, Wilson, Hayes, Davies; G – Wilson 2, Morris
Half-time: 0-20
Giants: Philippa Curley; Albany Coates, Bella Sykes, Erin Stott, Amelia Brown; Rebekah Grady, Frankie Townend; Sienna McPherson, Bethan Oates, Bridget Campbell, Olivia Rowe, Ellie Thompson, Lois Naidole. Subs: Amie Walker, Hannah Goddard, Angel Howey, Lucy Burwood.
Warriors: Georgia Wilson; Taylor White, Becky Greenfield, Kaitlin Hilton, Anna Davies; Sinead Doria, Carys Marsh; Holly Speakman, Emma Dwyer, Freya Hellin, Mary Coleman, Gabi Leigh, Beth Hayes. Subs: Molly Jones, Kerrie Evans, Jodie Morris, Abbie Singleton.
York City Knights 24 Leeds Rhinos 10
City Knights: T – Stanley, Clayton, Renouf, Wood; G – Stanley 4
Rhinos: T – Hornby 2; G – Hulme
Half-time: 4-4
City Knights: Tara Jane Stanley; Olivia Whitehead, Tamzin Renouf, Ashleigh Hyde, Kelsey Gentles; Lacey Owen, Olivia Gale; Grace Field, Sinead Peach, Olivia Wood, Hollie Mae Dodd, Savannah Andrade, Jas Bell. Subs: Georgia Taylor, Daisy Sanderson, Rhiannion Marshall, Alisha Clayton.
Rhinos: Fran Goldthorp; Tasha Gaines, Hanna Butcher, Caitlin Beevers, Sam Hulme; Georgia Roche, Jasmine Earnshaw-Cudjoe; Dannielle Anderson, Keara Bennett, Beth Lockwood, Chloe Kerrigan, Elychia Watson, Zoe Hornby. Subs: Alex Barnes, Aimee Staveley, Shannon Lacey, Elle Frain.
Women’s Super League Group 2
Barrow Raiders 40 Leigh Miners Rangers 6
Raiders: T – Birchall 2, Litherland 2, Temple 2, Norman, Hutchinson; G – Litherland 3, Lindsay
Rangers: T – Morris; G – Millington
Half-time: 10-6
Raiders: Michelle Larkin; Kate Birchall, Natalie Saunders, Emily Stirzaker, Sam Norman; Leah Cottier, Jodie Litherland; Hannah Sherlock, Beth Lindsay, Kerrie Ann Smith, Claire Hutchinson, Vanessa Temple, Demi Fisher. Subs: Bethany Pattinson, Sarah Wilkinson, Kelly Friend, Mia Dobson.
Rangers: Kate McMullen; Robyn Bell-Soppelsa, Mackenzie Taylor, Charlotte Taylor, Leah Dootson; Kirsty Millington, Rachel Ogden; Rebecca Owen, Kate Howard, Victoria Rosevere, Keli Morris, Mollie Young, Mairead Quinn. Subs: Hollie Gregory, Lucy Johnson, Eve Holder, Abbie Gregory.
Women’s Super League South
Golden Ferns 24 London Broncos 54
Oxford Cavaliers 6 Army RL 44
| Betfred Womens Super League Group 1 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |
| York City Knights | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 22 | 65 | 6 |
| Leeds Rhinos | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 70 | 28 | 42 | 2 |
| St Helens | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50 | 13 | 37 | 2 |
| Wigan Warriors | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 62 | -32 | 2 |
| Huddersfield Giants | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 140 | -112 | 0 |
| Betfred Womens Super League Group 2 | ||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | |
| Warrington Wolves | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 6 | 160 | 6 |
| Featherstone Rovers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 86 | 54 | 32 | 4 |
| Bradford Bulls | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 48 | -8 | 4 |
| Barrow Raiders | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 38 | 8 | 2 |
| Leigh Miners Rangers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 66 | -24 | 2 |
| Castleford Tigers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 56 | -50 | 0 |
| Wakefield Trinity | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 142 | -118 | 0 |
| Betfred Womens Super League South | ||||||||
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| London Broncos | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 36 | 144 | 6 |
| Cardiff Demons | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 12 | 60 | 2 |
| Bedford Tigers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 18 | 46 | 2 |
| Army Rugby League | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 100 | -32 | 2 |
| Bristol Golden Ferns | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 118 | -76 | 0 |
| Oxford Cavaliers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 148 | -142 | 0 |
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
SUNDAY 12th JUNE
Women’s Super League Group 2
Bradford Bulls v Castleford Tigers 14:00
Featherstone Rovers v Wakefield Trinity 14:00
Leigh Miners Rangers v Barrow Raiders 14:00