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Source:http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=...ts_10/&usg=AFQjCNG5J0rDvbqkTNy9KxWR9U2Ujh2cSQ
Sheffield Eagles 40, York City Knights 10
9:49am 15th February 2010
By Peter Martini
AT half-time at the Don Valley Stadium, all boded well for York City Knights’ forthcoming Co-operative Championship One campaign.
The new-look Knights were playing their second competitive Northern Rail Cup game, both of which were against play-off hopefuls from the division above, with one win already secured – against Leigh last week – and with another close game, away to Sheffield, in full flow.
However, the second 40 minutes suggested player/caretaker-coach Chris Thorman’s men have got far more work to do than previously thought.
They were only trailing 8-6 at the break but the Eagles went on to score six more tries, five of them with only 12 men on the field after Alex Rowe’s 48th-minute sending-off. York managed only a sole late consolation en route to a 40-10 drubbing.
Therefore, having been a match for Championship sides for 120 minutes of rugby league, the Knights went backwards for the next 40.
They are yet to face opposition from their own Championship One tier, of course, and now do so, at Rochdale on Wednesday and at home to London Skolars next Sunday, where wins could yet see them progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Failure to pick up a bonus point yesterday hasn’t helped though.
Some tired tackles and poor positional play in defence, and bad options and worse handling when in possession conspired to turn a close contest one-way.
It was a bizarre downturn in form, although the energy-sapping efforts in the first half of trying to halt Sheffield’s huge pack and powerful outside backs probably played a part.
Whatever Thorman said at half-time didn’t work, however.
Everything on the pitch had gone through the player-boss early on – only for Sheffield to break up the other end where former Super League prop Mitch Stringer barged over from close range.
Sheffield then attacked again on the back of a dubious penalty but it was York who had a half-chance as nippy scrum-half Casey Bromilow darted out of the line – just as he had a few times against Leigh last week – but couldn’t take in the interception with acres of green in front of him.
From the scrum, Sheffield again crossed the whitewash but Craig Cook was held on his back by the trio of Richard Blakeway, Danny Ratcliffe and Lee Waterman. Such enthusiasm in defence petered out later.
In a hint at what was to come, the hosts went the full length of the pitch in their next set, a sweeping attack ending with former Knights full-back Woodcock getting the ball out of the tackle for Dane McDonald to score – though the pass looked decidedly forward.
York, though, fought back.
A good attack in which Joe McLocklan featured prominently ended with Bromilow’s deflected kick being knocked dead for a dropout, with both the Aussie and Thorman just beaten to the touchdown.
Still, a Thorman kick forced another dropout and a penalty made it four consecutive sets in home territory, and this one ended with a clever McLocklan grubber being touched down by winger Wayne Reittie. Waterman struck a sweet conversion.
Reittie soon had a second try controversially ruled out by a linesman on the far side for offside from Bromilow’s kick, following a mistake by debutant Eagles winger Misi Taulapapa. Both the referee and the linesman just metres from the play had seen no problem.
The Samoan Taulapapa, a former Cronulla Sharks winger, had a try correctly disallowed at the other end for a double movement, while big prop Rowe knocked on when trying to touch down under immense pressure.
That came after a rare York mistake in the first half, Mike Mitchell losing possession on the first tackle from a 20-metre restart.
Mistakes were plentiful after the restart, though.
A wild pass by Thorman, of all people, brought to an end some early second-half pressure for York and two penalties the other way took Sheffield up the other end where dangerous centre Tangi Ropati blasted in.
Carl Barrow then knocked on in the first tackle when York again looked well set, although Rowe’s foul-up at the other end was far worse – he was sent off for leading with the elbow in a hit-up close to the try-line.
It was the Knights, however, who looked a man down thereafter, as they were starved of possession and struggled to contain Eagles off-loads all over the pitch, the hosts showing why they did so well in the Championship last season.
The 12 men soon increased their lead when Joe Hirst burst through the worst attempted tackle this season.
Penalties also helped the Eagles monopolise possession, and they scored again as Stringer spun out of more weak tackles. Woodcock finally put on his shooting boots, to add a conversion, going on to finish with four.
The next try should not have stood, Cook finishing it but only after Ropati had twice knocked-on, as if he was playing basketball, when breaking down the flank.
Stringer completed his hat-trick from close range and Cook got his second try, from acting-half, before York finally replied through Waterman, although even that might not have stood as Blakeway had fumbled in the build-up, the referee saying the ball went backwards.
Match facts
Sheffield: Woodcock, Thackeray, Mossop, Ropati, Taulapapa, Lindsay, McDonald, Howieson, Cook, Stringer, Green, Exton, Hirst.
Subs (all used): Groom, Rowe, Corcoran, Barlow.
Tries: Stringer 8, 55, 68; McDonald 15; Taulapapa 43; Hirst 51; Cook 61, 73.
Conversions: Woodcock 55, 61, 68, 73.
Penalties: None.
Sin-binned: None.
Sent off: Rowe 48.
Knights: Ratcliffe 6, Reittie 6, Mitchell 5, Waterman 5, Wilson 5, Thorman 6, Bromilow 6, Freer 6, McLocklan 6, Benson 6, Ross 7, Hill 6, Blakeway 6.
Subs (all used): Waller 6, Clough 5, Barrow 5, Stamp 5.
Tries: Reittie 23; Waterman 75.
Conversions: Waterman 23.
Penalties: None.
Drop goal: None.
Sin-binned: None.
Sent off: None.
Man of the match: Jordan Ross – worked hard throughout the game.
Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham) – made mistakes both ways but generally was quite even.
Penalty count: 10-9.
Weather watch: chilly but not too bad.
Half-time: 8-6.
Attendance: 814.
Moment of the match: Wayne Reittie’s first-half try had the Knights well and truly in the game at the midway point.
Gaffe of the match: York’s entire second-half performance.
Match rating: excellent first half of rugby league unexpectedly turned one way after the break.
Sheffield Eagles 40, York City Knights 10
9:49am 15th February 2010
By Peter Martini
AT half-time at the Don Valley Stadium, all boded well for York City Knights’ forthcoming Co-operative Championship One campaign.
The new-look Knights were playing their second competitive Northern Rail Cup game, both of which were against play-off hopefuls from the division above, with one win already secured – against Leigh last week – and with another close game, away to Sheffield, in full flow.
However, the second 40 minutes suggested player/caretaker-coach Chris Thorman’s men have got far more work to do than previously thought.
They were only trailing 8-6 at the break but the Eagles went on to score six more tries, five of them with only 12 men on the field after Alex Rowe’s 48th-minute sending-off. York managed only a sole late consolation en route to a 40-10 drubbing.
Therefore, having been a match for Championship sides for 120 minutes of rugby league, the Knights went backwards for the next 40.
They are yet to face opposition from their own Championship One tier, of course, and now do so, at Rochdale on Wednesday and at home to London Skolars next Sunday, where wins could yet see them progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Failure to pick up a bonus point yesterday hasn’t helped though.
Some tired tackles and poor positional play in defence, and bad options and worse handling when in possession conspired to turn a close contest one-way.
It was a bizarre downturn in form, although the energy-sapping efforts in the first half of trying to halt Sheffield’s huge pack and powerful outside backs probably played a part.
Whatever Thorman said at half-time didn’t work, however.
Everything on the pitch had gone through the player-boss early on – only for Sheffield to break up the other end where former Super League prop Mitch Stringer barged over from close range.
Sheffield then attacked again on the back of a dubious penalty but it was York who had a half-chance as nippy scrum-half Casey Bromilow darted out of the line – just as he had a few times against Leigh last week – but couldn’t take in the interception with acres of green in front of him.
From the scrum, Sheffield again crossed the whitewash but Craig Cook was held on his back by the trio of Richard Blakeway, Danny Ratcliffe and Lee Waterman. Such enthusiasm in defence petered out later.
In a hint at what was to come, the hosts went the full length of the pitch in their next set, a sweeping attack ending with former Knights full-back Woodcock getting the ball out of the tackle for Dane McDonald to score – though the pass looked decidedly forward.
York, though, fought back.
A good attack in which Joe McLocklan featured prominently ended with Bromilow’s deflected kick being knocked dead for a dropout, with both the Aussie and Thorman just beaten to the touchdown.
Still, a Thorman kick forced another dropout and a penalty made it four consecutive sets in home territory, and this one ended with a clever McLocklan grubber being touched down by winger Wayne Reittie. Waterman struck a sweet conversion.
Reittie soon had a second try controversially ruled out by a linesman on the far side for offside from Bromilow’s kick, following a mistake by debutant Eagles winger Misi Taulapapa. Both the referee and the linesman just metres from the play had seen no problem.
The Samoan Taulapapa, a former Cronulla Sharks winger, had a try correctly disallowed at the other end for a double movement, while big prop Rowe knocked on when trying to touch down under immense pressure.
That came after a rare York mistake in the first half, Mike Mitchell losing possession on the first tackle from a 20-metre restart.
Mistakes were plentiful after the restart, though.
A wild pass by Thorman, of all people, brought to an end some early second-half pressure for York and two penalties the other way took Sheffield up the other end where dangerous centre Tangi Ropati blasted in.
Carl Barrow then knocked on in the first tackle when York again looked well set, although Rowe’s foul-up at the other end was far worse – he was sent off for leading with the elbow in a hit-up close to the try-line.
It was the Knights, however, who looked a man down thereafter, as they were starved of possession and struggled to contain Eagles off-loads all over the pitch, the hosts showing why they did so well in the Championship last season.
The 12 men soon increased their lead when Joe Hirst burst through the worst attempted tackle this season.
Penalties also helped the Eagles monopolise possession, and they scored again as Stringer spun out of more weak tackles. Woodcock finally put on his shooting boots, to add a conversion, going on to finish with four.
The next try should not have stood, Cook finishing it but only after Ropati had twice knocked-on, as if he was playing basketball, when breaking down the flank.
Stringer completed his hat-trick from close range and Cook got his second try, from acting-half, before York finally replied through Waterman, although even that might not have stood as Blakeway had fumbled in the build-up, the referee saying the ball went backwards.
Match facts
Sheffield: Woodcock, Thackeray, Mossop, Ropati, Taulapapa, Lindsay, McDonald, Howieson, Cook, Stringer, Green, Exton, Hirst.
Subs (all used): Groom, Rowe, Corcoran, Barlow.
Tries: Stringer 8, 55, 68; McDonald 15; Taulapapa 43; Hirst 51; Cook 61, 73.
Conversions: Woodcock 55, 61, 68, 73.
Penalties: None.
Sin-binned: None.
Sent off: Rowe 48.
Knights: Ratcliffe 6, Reittie 6, Mitchell 5, Waterman 5, Wilson 5, Thorman 6, Bromilow 6, Freer 6, McLocklan 6, Benson 6, Ross 7, Hill 6, Blakeway 6.
Subs (all used): Waller 6, Clough 5, Barrow 5, Stamp 5.
Tries: Reittie 23; Waterman 75.
Conversions: Waterman 23.
Penalties: None.
Drop goal: None.
Sin-binned: None.
Sent off: None.
Man of the match: Jordan Ross – worked hard throughout the game.
Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham) – made mistakes both ways but generally was quite even.
Penalty count: 10-9.
Weather watch: chilly but not too bad.
Half-time: 8-6.
Attendance: 814.
Moment of the match: Wayne Reittie’s first-half try had the Knights well and truly in the game at the midway point.
Gaffe of the match: York’s entire second-half performance.
Match rating: excellent first half of rugby league unexpectedly turned one way after the break.