Ian Golden and Harry Jones review last weekend’s action featuring our Welsh internationals and hopefuls. Picture by Matthew Merrick/SWpix.com.
We have to start by congratulating North Wales Crusaders’ men’s side for winning the RFL League 1 Championship last Sunday. Their 30-16 win was enough to give them the title following an excellent season where they’ve won 14 out of 17 matches.
They were 30-0 up at half-time, but despite Keighley showing resilience and staging a mini-comeback, the Welsh side held on before the celebrations started. Coming off the bench for Crusaders was experienced Welsh international Ant Walker, with Paddy Jones also in the team.
Workington Town sealed second place in League 1 after beating Rochdale Hornets 36-5. Max Clarke was in the Town side. Dec Tomlinson was in the Dewsbury Rams side that beat Midlands Hurricanes, in what would have been a big match for a top four finish before the league structure announcement. Finally fot this league, Goole Vikings edged out an improving, but still winless, Newcastle Thunder, who fielded George Birch.
There are still play-offs for the men’s RFL Championship and with two games remaining for most, only the top four are confirmed. Featherstone Rovers remain in fifth place and secured a play-off spot after Caleb Aekins helped them to a win at Sheffield Eagles, for whom Billy Walkley scored a try. Halifax Panthers are clinging onto sixth place with Connor Davies helping them to a win at Barrow Raiders. Widnes Vikings continued their push for a top-six play-off place with a 40-12 win over bottom side Hunslet. Mike Butt and Matty Fozard were in the Widnes side. Halifax host Widnes next week in a winner-takes-all all match for the final play-off place. The bottom four, who would have been in the relegation play-offs, are now confirmed. Two of them met on the weekend, with Curtis Davies and Huw Worthington helping London Broncos to overcome Elliot Kear‘s Batley Bulldogs.
In the men’s Super League, Denive Balmforth was in the Catalans Dragons side that lost at home to Wigan Warriors, whilst a Warrington Wolves side, that contained Luke Thomas, lost at home to Salford Red Devils. The two sides also met in the Super League Academy, with Warrington, starring Junior Westwood, easily taking the spoils. Two players clashed at Leigh Leopards, where Sam Grice‘s Castleford Tigers were the winners, with Henry Parker starting for the home side. Meanwhile, Oliver Garmston helped St Helens to a win at Hull Kingston Rovers, and Sam Dickenson did likewise for Wigan Warriors at Bradford Bulls. In the NRL, Sam Hughes helped Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to a home win over Penrith Panthers.
In the Wheelchair Super League, Scott Trigg-Turner scored a try for his Wigan Warriors side as they were defeated 52-25 by London Roosters in Manchester in the opening round of the play-offs. In the first of the bottom half of Super League matches, Stuart Williams scored two tries for Edinburgh Giants as they completed the double over Sheffield Eagles.
North Wales Crusaders’ wheelchair side beat Warrington Wolves 61-18 in what could be their final Championship West fixture of the season. International, Jess Booth returned for the Crusaders after an extended break down under, which included making two appearances for South East Queensland Red Bellies, scoring two tries. Booth was joined by Mason Baker, who kicked two goals, Martin Turner, who kicked six, Jonny Gill, Jakub Wasieczko and Harry Mitchell-Jones.
The Women’s Championship regular season has now concluded with London Broncos taking the League Leader’s Shield after winning nine and drawing one of their ten matches this year. Emily Hughes and Kathryn Salter were in their side as they won 36-0 at Hull FC, with Salter scoring a try and kicking six out of six goals. Featherstone Rovers take second place with Ashlea Prescott scoring two tries in their win over Georgia Cussons‘ Sheffield Eagles. Following that win, Cardiff Demons were cemented in third place, but Salford Red Devils clinched fourth with a 22-18 win in Cardiff on Sunday. Charlie Mundy, Katie Carr and Zoe Heeley scored tries for Cardiff with Amberley Ruck kicking three out of three. Brittony Price returned for Cardiff after her spell in Australia, with Olivia Williams, Lucia Davies, Meg Whittaker, Sara Jones, Jasmine Gibbons, Ffion Jenkins, Ffion Jones, Rhi Parker, Lauren Aitken and Katie Carr all in the Demons side.
Finally, in Women’s Super League, Agnes Wood helped York Valkyrie to a win at Dani McGifford‘s St Helens, and Carys Marsh started for Wigan Warriors in their victory at Barrow Raiders. Gracie Hobbs was in the Huddersfield Giants side who drew 20-all at Leigh Leopards.
