Harry Jones and Ian Golden report on how Wales’ internationals and hopefuls got on last weekend. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
It looks likely that there will be a Welsh winner at the Women’s Challenge Cup Final on Saturday 7th June, after Wigan Warriors and St Helens qualified with semi-final wins last weekend.
The semi-finals have been the same for the last three seasons, and in the first, Wigan qualified for the first time, with Carys Marsh in the side as they beat Bethan Dainton‘s Leeds Rhinos. St Helens have been winners for the last four years and for the third year in a row, they beat York Valkyrie in the semi-final, with Dani McGifford playing a starring role. They will all hope to be selected for the big event at Wembley Stadium next month.
The Wheelchair Challenge Cup reached the quarter-final stage, with Scott Trigg-Turner making his competitive debut for Wigan Warriors and scoring a hat-trick of tries, but these were not enough as the Warriors fell 56-46 at home to London Roosters. Earlier that day, both clubs’ reserve teams were in action with Mark Williams featured for the Warriors Reserve team as he was cup-tied. He scored a solitary try and three conversions as they claimed a 22-10 victory.
The Wheelchair Championship season got underway last weekend and the first game saw North Wales Crusaders field a very Welsh-heavy squad against Widnes Vikings with current train-on squad members Johnathan Gill, Stuart Williams, Jessica Booth and Jakub Wasieczko alongside 2024 representatives Martin Turner and Harry Jones filling out the team. Gill and Wasieczko both grabbed two tries a piece, Martin Turner managing a conversion whilst his son Matthew, managed a try and six conversions, youngster Fionn McCabe also crossed the whitewash whilst Stuart Williams managed four tries.
On Sunday Hereford Harriers faced Salford Red Devils in what was Salford’s first ever league game. The Welsh contingent was strong in the Harriers side as Lee Sargent, Gary Preece and Alex Powell collectively grabbed 56 of the Harriers’ 92 points. Powell with four tries, Sargent with a hat-trick and Preece with three tries and eight goals. Also featuring in this game was Brogan Evans as she was a part of the Salford side, managing to cross for one of the Red Devils’ tries.
The men’s Championship also pit Welsh internationals up against each other. Caleb Aekins was the only Welsh winner in that league last weekend, playing for Featherstone Rovers in their victory at Widnes Vikings, with the understrength hosts fielding just one of their Welsh internationals in Matty Fozard. In other games, Connor Davies‘ Halifax Panthers lost at home to Doncaster, Elliot Kear‘s Batley Bulldogs lost at home to Bradford Bulls, Gil Dudson‘s Oldham lost at home to Toulouse Olympique XIII, whilst Curtis Davies and Matt Ross were in the London Broncos side that narrowly lost at home to Sheffield Eagles.
Just one Welsh international was in action in League 1 and that was Luis Roberts who was in the Midlands Hurricanes side as they won away at Rochdale Hornets.
With Super League on a week off due to the Challenge Cup, Denive Balmforth had a run-out for Hull FC reserves as they beat Salford Red Devils at home. The visitors fielded Billy Glover, Charlie Glover, Junior Westwood and Jake Nottingham. In the other reserves match last weekend, Lewis Owens was in the Bradford Bulls side that lost at Leigh Leopards.
In the NRL, Harry Hayes helped Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to an amazing second-half comeback as they beat Canberra Raiders 32-20 after being 20-0 down at half-time. Hayden Barton was in action for Sydney Roosters reserves as the won at Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
