Rovers boost play-off hopes with crushing victory over Bulldogs

It put Jon Sharp’s Rovers just one point behind both Batley and third-placed Halifax who they visit next Sunday before hosting Bradford on July 24 in their final match in the regular season.

Rovers completed a league double over Batley and avenged their 28-10 Challenge cup defeat at Mount Pleasant in April after building a 10-0 interval lead.

Andy Bostock grabbed an eighth minute try and Kyle Briggs kicked three first-half goals.

In the second-half, Briggs added four goals and scored a try from half-back partner Anthony Thackeray’s towering kick as Featherstone ran away with the game.

John Davies cleverly created a try for Ian Hardman, Leeds Rhinos’ dual-registered winger Ashton Golding crossed at the corner and Michael Channing capitalised on Thackeray’s high kick to score as Rovers stormed into a 34-0 lead before Chris Ulugia collected Batley’s solitary touchdown two minutes from time. The only setback for Featherstone was the first-half loss of Jamie Cording with what looked to be a serious knee injury.

Batley: Scott; Reittie, Ulugia, Chandler, A Brown; Southernwood, Brambani; Hurst, Leek, J Brown, Bretherton, Day, Gledhill. Subs; Davey, Lillycrop, Walker, Rowe.

Featherstone: Hardman; Golding, Channing, Cording, Taulapapa; Briggs, Thackeray; Bostock, Ellis, Baldwinson, Snitch, Davies, Ormondroyd. Subs: Griffin, Spears, Cooper, Mullally.

Second-placed London Broncos suffered a second successive home defeat when they went down 32-14 to Sheffield Eagles.

Matty James, Matty Fozard, Stan Robin, Quentin Laulu-Togagae, Menzie Yere, Duane Straughier scored the tries with Cory Aston adding four goals.