Round 1
Hull KR 14 d. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 9

2007 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Hull KR begin Super League with victory
Sun February 11, 2007
Source: www.hullkr.co.uk

On a cold winter's night, the Robins got their Super League campaign off to the best possible start with a try inside the first four minutes.

Things could have got even better for Rovers ten minutes later, a flat cross-kick from James Webster caused indecision in the Wakefield defence and the ball was just deflected away from winger Byron Ford by his opposite number Peter Fox. From the resulting drop-out, a similar kick from Scott Murrell was diffused well by Wildcats winger Semi Tadulala. Aided by a couple of penalties, the visitors made their way into Rovers territory, and got themselves on the scoreboard as hooker Sam Obst sneaked over from close range. Jamie Rooney tied the scores with the conversion.

Rovers hit back swiftly though, an inside ball from Chris Chester sent Ben Cockayne clear and, although he was halted short of the line, referee Ashley Klein penalised the tacklers for being offside on the next play. Morton stepped up to kick the goal, and restore the Robins' lead. There followed a spell of sustained Wakefield pressure, with the visitors forcing two goal-line restarts and a knock-on, but thanks to some committed defence from the Robins, nothing came of it.

Things were becoming heated, and with Richard Moore already on report for a spear-tackle, Wakefield replacement Tevita Latu went a step further, catching Jon Goddard high and then punching him repeatedly. This earned the Kiwi a spell in the sin-bin, and on half-time, he was joined by Richard Moore and Ben Cockayne. Cockayne was on the receiving end of an elbow from Moore, and the full-back then responded with a flurry of punches.

Half Time: Hull Kingston Rovers 8 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 6

With three players in the sin-bin at the start of the second half, there was plenty of space for both sides to exploit, and James Webster almost profited, selling a dummy and beating the full-back, only to be held up over the line. Instead it was the Wildcats who got on the board first, in the form of a penalty from Jamie Rooney. The Robins almost responded immediately, with a cross-kick from Webster finding Luke Dyer, only for the winger to lose control of the ball as he reached out for the line.

Both sides were now back to their full compliment of players, and Wakefield were looking more assured as they pushed hard for a score which would give them the lead. With the Red and White wall was holding strong, Jamie Rooney attempted a snap drop-goal, but Chris Chester was alive to the danger and charged the kick down.

The game had developed into an arm-wrestle, with both teams struggling to break the deadlock. But then came a big moment in the game. Jamie Rooney took a second attempt at a drop-goal and this time, from nearly forty metres, the ball sailed agonisingly through the posts to give the Wildcats the lead they had been striving for.

The Robins needed something special, but it looked as though they weren't going to get it, as Gareth Morton held off defenders to get into the in-goal area, only to be pushed out of play before he could get the ball down. Then, with the last play of the game, Webster looked to snatch a drop goal. The Wakefield defence were alive to it and closed him down, but he got the ball away to Chris Chester, who slipped the ball inside to Ben Cockayne, and he tore past his opposite number to score next to the posts. Morton added the extras, and there was no time remaining for the Wildcats.

Full Time: Hull Kingston Rovers 14 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 9.

Report source: www.hullkr.co.uk

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