19 September 2021

Rovers set themselves up nicely for the play-offs with a points avalanche against a patched up Eagles side. Craig Hall was irrepressible out on the wing with five tries to overtake team mate Gareth Gale in the try scoring charts, and second rowers Frankie Halton and Brett Ferres matched that tally between them while Fa’amanu Brown’s elusive running was influential before he was taken off as a precaution early in the second half. Hall was on the scoreboard as early as the second minute, getting on the end of a flowing passing move after Craig Kopczak intercepted a loose pass to give Rovers possession on the Eagles ten. He missed the touchline conversion, and most of his six misses were also from wide out, and when Josh Gudzek converted Ryan Johnson’s 14^th minute try after a neat kick from Tyson Wilson Sheffield suddenly found themselves in the lead. But Rovers hit a purple patch, with five touchdowns inside thirteen minutes. Three of them were scored by Halton, two of them by spinning around to shake of the defence close to the line. The other was from supporting a splendid 40 metre break by Brown. In between Hall beat two men wide out to show his potency on the wing.

Rovers were quick out of the blocks again in the second half, but this time it continued with six tries in rapid succession. First Ferres took three over with him before Bussey celebrated his return, bamboozling the defence with dummies and strolling in from 30 metres. Gareth Gale got in on the act soon after with a walk-in from Dean Parata and Josh Hardcastle’s combination before Hall crossed for his hat-trick after good work from Ferres, before Hardcastle stormed onto Parata’s well timed pass. Hall then added his fourth and fifth tries after good work from Dane Chisholm on both occasions to overtake Gale in the charts. Ferres then crossed for his second after using Hall as a foil before Gale walked in at the corner to keep the race for top try scorer wide open one behind Hall on 27. In his last game before retirement, Rob Worrincey grabbed a consolation for the Eagles.