Round Seventeen of the Kingstone Press Championship got underway with a Saturday afternoon fixture at Toulouse, where Olympique entertained Rochdale Hornets.
There were some intriguing games on Sunday afternoon with high-flying Featherstone at the Bulls, Dewsbury looking for a third consecutive win at London, and Halifax needing a victory at Sheffield to maintain their push for a place in the top four.
League leaders Hull KR had simple looking trip to Oldham while Swinton were the hosts for the visit of Batley Bulldogs.
It was a comfortable win for second placed Toulouse as they strolled to a 56-16 victory over the travelling Hornets. Mika and Adler had scored converted tries before Massam got on the board for the Hornets. Robin grabbed a four pointer for the French side before Ader got two to complete a first half hat-trick. Kheirallah scored Toulouse's sixth try of the half for a 34-4 half time lead. Boyer and Marion extended the lead to 46-4 before Kay and Greenwood saved some face for the visitors. But Toulouse weren't finished and Macron and Curran both went over in the closing ten minutes to seal the comprehensive win.
Fifth placed Halifax did their points difference a world of good with a 54-0 demolition of the Sheffield Eagles. First half tries from Woodburn-Hall (2), Tyrer, McGrath (2), and Johnson made it 32-0 at the interval. In the second half Tyrer added a second, McGrath completed his hat-trick and Morris and Douglas both grabbed four pointers. Tyrer kicked seven conversions in the comprehensive victory.
Hull KR looked in all sorts of trouble early on at Oldham. Burke, Hewitt and Wood gave Oldham an 18-0 lead after just twelve minutes but it served to stun the league leaders into action with Lunt, Abdull and Wardill scoring to reduce the arrears to just two points at the interval. Shaw, Wardill and Smith all crossed in the opening twenty minutes of the second half to give KR thirty-two unanswered points. Leatherbarrow scored on sixty-five for Oldham but the Robins shut them out of the rest of the game to take a 32-24 win.
Featherstone Rovers continued their push for a middle eights berth but got an early scare from bottom of the table Bradford Bulls. Roche had opened the scoring for the Bulls before Thackeray levelled things on twelve. Bentley made it 12-6 to the Bulls but a Hardcastle try reduced the arrears to 12-10 at the interval. The second half was one-way traffic with four pointers from Hardcastle (2), Ormondroyd and Wildie to take the crucial two points with a 36-12 victory.
The London Broncos maintained their third spot with a simple win over the Dewsbury Rams. Barthau, Walker, Ackers, Hellewell and Channing all scored first half tries for a 30-0 lead at the break. Pewhairangi extended the lead to 36-0 before Potts and Glover avoided the nilling for the Rams with unconverted tries. Walker grabbed a second on sixty-seven and Pewhairangi got two in the last ten minutes to complete his hat-trick and seal a 52-8 win.
Batley Bulldogs got within two points of the Sheffield Eagles with a 26-12 win at Swinton Lions. Ainscough, Day and Leak scored tries in the first half for a 16-0 interval lead. There was some hope for Swinton when Bate scored first in the second half for 16-6. But all hope was extinguished by Cowling and Smeaton for 26-6 before a late Bracek try further reduced the arrears.
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