Ian Golden and Harry Jones look back at last weekend’s matches containing our Welsh internationals and hopefuls.
Wales PDRL international player David Jones helped his Wakefield Trinity Wildcats side to the PDRL Super League title last weekend. Playing in a festival, which included semi-finals and a final, Wakefield beat Castleford Tigers in the final. Cas beat Leeds Rhinos to get there, the Leeds side containing Chris Young, with Justin Martin playing for Warrington Wolves in the exhibition matches.
Last Saturday, Hereford Harriers sealed the top spot in the RFL Wheelchair Championship West division with a 154-2 crushing of a depleted Widnes Vikings. The Harriers controlled the entirety of the game as their Wales internationals, current and former, scored the majority of their points. Lee Sargent managed four tries and a conversion, with his sister Libbie and father Paul also playing. Former Wales international Seb Groves scored five tries, Alan Caron crossed for a hat-trick and Phil Davies managed two tries and a conversion. However, the star of the show was Gary Preece as he scored six tries and 21 conversions – this scoring securing him the honours of top points scorer, top try scorer, most conversions and most drop-goals in the final Championship West regular season stats.
In Women’s Rugby League, Georgia Taylor scored a try for Sheffield Eagles against Beci Davies‘ Salford Red Devils to help them through to the Championship North Grand Final this coming weekend, where they’ll face Leigh Leopards. If Sheffield go all the way to the Super League play-off match, then they’ll face Featherstone Rovers, who lost to York Valkyrie last weekend with Ashlea Prescott in the Rovers side. Elsewhere in the Women’s Super League, Gracie Hobbs was in the Huddersfield Giants side that beat Warrington Wolves, with Bethan Dainton‘s Leeds Rhinos overcoming Carys Marsh‘s Wigan Warriors.
In the men’s Super League, Gil Dudson helped Salford Red Devils to a play-off spot as they easily overcame bottom side Hull FC. The NRL finals are already in full swing and our Welsh-qualified players were all eliminated last weekend. Sam Hughes and Harry Hayes were in the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs side who were narrowly defeated at home to Manly Sea Eagles (who are coached by former Wales assistant coach Anthony Seibold).
There are two rounds left in the RFL Championship with clubs clamouring to avoid a relegation play-off place or win a title play-off spot. At the bottom end of the table, Swinton Lions, with Rhys Williams, Gavin Bennion and Ant Walker in the side, had an important away win at Dewsbury Rams. They’re now on 18 points, two above Whitehaven, who lost at fellow strugglers Barrow Raiders, Haven’s side containing Will Evans and Huw Worthington. Whitehaven’s defeat means that Halifax Panthers and Batley Bulldogs are now both safe, despite both losing, whilst a win for either would have put them still in contention for the play-offs – that’s no longer possible for either. Halifax, with Connor Davies in the side, lost at Toulouse Olypmique XIII, whilst Elliot Kear‘s Batley were defeated at Bradford Bulls. Widnes Vikings are still in a play-off place but failed to cement it last weekend after losing at Doncaster, with Mike Butt, Matty Fozard and Rhodri Lloyd playing for Widnes. York Knights, where Bailey Antrobus came off the bench, still need another win to secure a play-off spot after losing at Wakefield Trinity.
Finally, in the League 1 play-offs, Jude Ferreira‘s Hunslet side lost at Rochdale Hornets, but they’ll have a second chance next week as they take on Midlands Hurricanes. The Birmingham-based side, that contained Sam Bowring, won an elimination thriller against Workington Town, their first-ever play-off match, to secure their place.
