Championship Review – Round 3

Featherstone Rovers maintained their blistering start to the season with a superb 20-6 win away at Barrow Raiders and are now joint top of The Co-operative Championship with Halifax on nine points.

Six goals from the boot of Kyle Briggs and tries from Jon Steel and Liam Finn helped Rovers to their third consecutive league win.  Jermaine McGillvary was the only try scorer for Barrow who are still searching their first league win of the season.

Halifax had gone clear at the top of the table last Thursday night with their 30-28 triumph over Widnes Vikings at the Stobart Stadium.   Matt Calland’s men twice came from behind to inflict Widnes’ first defeat of 2010.

Leigh also remain unbeaten in the league after a comfortable 44-12 win over Whitehaven.  Ian Millward’s men scored eight tires on their way to victory but only led 12-0 at half-time.

Steve Maden, Dave Alstead, Robbie Paul and Jacob Emmett all scored tries for Leigh as did the Warrington pair of Tryone McCarthy and Matty Blythe who are dual registered with the Centurions.

Mick Nanyn scored a try and kicked five goals while team mate Martyn Ridyard also scored a try and kicked one goal.

Toulouse moved up to fifth in the table with a 34-26 win at home against Keighley.  Cedric Gay grabbed a brace of tries for the French side who also saw Clement Bienes, Rory Bromley, Sebastien Planas and Kevin Larroyer touchdown.  Nathan Wynn added five goals.  The Cougars try scores were Danny Jones, Oliver Pursglove, Gavin Duffy, Chris Baines and James Feather.

Mark Aston’s Sheffield Eagles secured their first league win of the season against Dewsbury Rams.

Tangi Ropati touched down for a pair of tries either side of half-time while also kicking a conversion to lead the Eagles to a 22-10 victory.  Mitch Stringer and Dane McDonald also scored for the hosts.

Dewsbury had hoped of pulling off their first league victory since promotion when they trailed 12-10 at half-time through tries from Stewart Sanderson and Patrick Walker.  However the Rams failed to score a point in the second half.