Widnes Vikings fell to successive defeats for the first time this season as league leaders Featherstone maintained their 100% record in the Championship.
Gareth Gale crossed for a first half hat-trick as Rovers ran in six tries on a tough afternoon for John Kear’s side.
History was made as Will Tilleke became only the second ever 18th man to be used in rugby league, his introduction forced by three concussions suffered in the first half by Matt Fleming, Zach Eckersley and Lewis Hatton.
Team news
Max Roberts made his Vikings off the bench, having missed the early part of the season through an injury picked up in pre-season at Oldham.
Joe Lyons returned to the side in the absence of Danny Craven and Tom Gilmore, with Jack Owens continuing at half-back and Matt Fleming at full-back.
Kyle Amor and Adam Lawton dropped out from Monday’s defeat at Batley, with Olly Davies making a return.
Story of the game
Featherstone came in to the game with 10 wins from 10 and sit clear at the top of the table, and they soon flexed their muscle.
Only a fine tackle by Jordan Johnstone denied Tom Lacans an early try as the visitors enjoyed the first real field position.
On Widnes’ first foray forward, their desperation in keeping alive a last tackle kick by Jack Owens helped launch a counter attack for Featherstone, which enabled Gale to break through down the middle and romp home from 60 metres to open the scoring.
The first Widnes re-shuffle was then forced when Fleming went off with a head knock, with Eckersley shifting from centre to full-back before he too was forced off.
In between those concussions, Featherstone doubled their lead when Jack Bussey latched on to Riley Dean’s pass to touch down.
A break by Kieran Dixon got Widnes up field before he was tackled in to touch a few tackles later.
Gale’s second try came in the left corner, finishing acrobatically to stretch the lead to 16-0.
His hat-trick try pretty much summed up Widnes’ afternoon. Owens attempted a cut out pass on the last 20 metres out from the Featherstone line, he was looking for Ryan Ince but the ball struck Max Roberts’ out stretched hand and popped up for Gale to race 80 metres unopposed.
Trailing 22-0 at half time, it was a case of damage limitation in the second half for Widnes and they kept the visitors out for 12 minutes.
Ex-Vikings loanee Craig Hall got on the outside of Roberts and handed him off to score for 26-0.
Featherstone were reduced to 12 men on the hour mark when Bussey was sinbinned for a high shot that stopped a break by Ince after good link-up play by Roberts, but Widnes couldn’t make the most of their numerical advantage, with Fozard fumbling Owens’ kick with the line at his mercy.
Rovers rounded off the scoring in the final five minutes, a searing break from dummy half by Connor Jones taking them up field, and he finished it a tackle later taking in Arama Hau’s offload.
Next game
Saturday 27 May – Swinton Lions (Summer Bash) – 12.30pm
Teams and scorers
Widnes Vikings: Matt Fleming, Ryan Ince, Zach Eckersley, Joe Edge, Kieran Dixon, Joe Lyons, Jack Owens, Owen Farnworth, Matty Fozard, Callum Field, Jacob Jones, Sam Wilde, Jordan Johnstone.
Interchanges: Olly Davies, Lewis Hatton, Max Roberts, Ant Walker, Will Tilleke.
Featherstone Rovers: Caleb Aekins, Luke Briscoe, Josh Hardcastle, Craig Hall, Gareth Gale, Thomas Lacans, Riley Dean, Gadwin Springer, Matty Wildie, James Lockwood, Brad Day, Jack Bussey, Daniel Smith.
Interchanges: Connor Jones, John Davies, McKenzie Yei, Arama Hau (18th man: Junior Moors)
Tries: Gareth Gale 3, Jack Bussey, Craig Hall, Connor Jones. Goals: Hall 4/6.
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