Rugby League friendlies: Featherstone edge Championship opener rehearsal with Halifax

Anthony Thackeray scored Featherstone's first try against Halifax.

With the sides locked at 16-16, Rovers half-back Tom Holmes scored the winning try 12 minutes from time.

Anthony Thackeray bagged two touchdowns and Martyn Ridyard set up three tries and kicked two goals as Rovers came out on top following their 32-16 win at Castleford Tigers on Boxing Day. Halifax, who lost 22-6 at Bradford and 62-0 at Wakefield Trinity in previous warm-up matches, competed superbly in a keenly-contested friendly.

Rovers led 10-6 at the break after a scrappy first-half in which both teams made plenty of errors.

Marksman Luke Hooley was on target for Wakefield in the defeat at Batley.

Batley Bulldogs, meanwhile, recorded their second win of pre-season as they came from behind to defeat a youthful Wakefield Trinity 24-12 at Mount Pleasant.

Batley clicked into gear after a scratchy first-half display, which had seen Wakefield lead 6-0, and the Bulldogs ran in five tries after the break to turn the game around. Batley fielded a strong 18-man line-up and went closest to taking the lead in the early stages when impressive second-row man James Harrison drove for the line but was judged to have lost the ball when attempting to stretch over.

The deadlock was finally broken on the half-hour as the Bulldogs were looking to mount another attack when Tom Ashen intercepted a long pass and raced unchallenged 80 metres down the slope to score between the posts, with Luke Hooley converting.

Dewsbury Rams made a good fist of things before eventually going down 32-22 at Huddersfield Giants after trailing 22-6 at half-time.

Gareth Potts, Dale Morton – from his own kick and chase on the wing – James Glover and Macauley Hallett scored tries with Paul Sykes and Glover adding conversion points.