Match Report

Rhondda Outlaws lost out to Hull Dockers 54-10 in the first round of the Betfred Challenge Cup.

The damage was done in the first half after the home side scored five tries without reply, but the Welsh didn't ever surrender and did register a couple of scores of their own after the break.

Hull took the lead after five minutes with a Dan Suddaby try. He converted that himself and didn't miss at all throughout the afternoon.

After 20 minutes it was still 6-0, but then the home side started scoring at regular intervals. Tries from Danny Patrick, Chris Heil, Matty Beharrell and Steven Milne gave them a 30-0 half-time lead.

Kallum Birch added a sixth try just after the break, before Cody Rees finally got the Outlaws on the scoreboard.

On 55 minutes, Chris Heil extended the home side's lead, but that was before Steve Parry again got the Outlaws back into the game, with Chris Harris converting.

However Hull Dockers wrapped things up in the final ten minutes when Heil and Beharrell each grounded their second tries of the game.

Outlaws' chairman/coach James Allen was proud of how his players performed. He said: "The boys really fronted up and played some great rugby league. Hull had players totalling over 500 pro appearances in their squad including Matty Beharell who came through Hull KR's ranks. In addition, we were down to one fit sub in the second half and still performed well. They were impressed and they thought we were nearly up to National Conference level. It was just our fitness and experience that let us down in the end."