10 July 2022

Promotion-chasing Featherstone Rovers beat London Broncos at a broiling Kuflink Stadium. Featherstone took the lead in the eighth minute when, on the last tackle Joey Leilua fired a pass to the right wing and Luke Briscoe touched down inches from the corner post. But London hit back and took the lead in the 15th minute when Dean Parata spotted a gap at the play-the-ball and squirmed through the defensive line to ground the ball. The lead lasted barely five minutes as London tried a short goal-line drop-out but the ball went straight to Leilua and he put Gale over. A tap tackle stopped a powerful Rovers break instigated by Matty Wildie but it only delayed the inevitable a few seconds as Sam Eseh scored and Hall converted. 

Two minutes into the second half, London made a break through Oli Leyland, but his pass was knocked up in the air by a Featherstone tackler and Alex Walker was able to pluck the ball out of the air before running, unopposed, between the uprights. Rovers hit back when Leilua went over near to the touchline and Hall added the extras. A powerful run by Gale was stopped by Paul Ulberg, but he hung onto the winger for too long and was sin-binned. Taking advantage of the extra man, Jesse Sene-Lefao crashed over beside the posts. Gale, denied minutes earlier, did cross for his second try, with Hall adding two points to each try. Even 18 points down, and a man short, London showed a great deal of heart because in the 63rd minute they went over for a third try. A grubber was misplayed by Rovers and Dalton Grant took full advantage with Dalton Grant the man to get the try. Walker’s inventive grubber rolled once hop too far for Siti Moceidreke to gather and this gave Featherstone the chance for a seven-tackle set, which they used to great effect with a superb run from Leilua bringing him a second try, converted from touch by Hall.  Rovers finished the match with Briscoe in the bin, and, against 12 men, the Broncos scored a fourth try, Grant getting his second.