DEWSBURY RAMS 22 - 43 NEWCASTLE THUNDER

Newcastle Thunder secured Betfred Championship rugby league for the 2022 season in fine style on Sunday afternoon, with an eight-try showing in a comprehensive win over Dewsbury Rams.

The first ever triumph for a Thunder side at the Tetleys Stadium, it was a game the visitors controlled for large spells as they rose to ninth in the table and ensured they will remain in the game's second-tier for next year.

It was an inauspicious start for Thunder however, with early handling errors handing over possession and conceding an early try as Dewsbury started brightly.

Winning the aerial battle for a cross-field kick after Thunder were given a repeat set following a Rams knock-on, Matty Flemming was presented with an unopposed run to the Thunder line as he scored the ultimate counterattack try.

It was the start of a period where the Rams asked plenty of questions of the Newcastle defence but determined tackling from the visitors ensured that these waves were repelled.

Having ridden out that storm, a superb individual try from Calum Turner got Thunder into a lead they would never relinquish, with the fullback stepping three defenders before evading the efforts of two pursuers as he completed an eighty-meter break.

There was another period of pressure from the hosts, but Newcastle seized control of the game in commanding style with three tries in six minutes with a quarter gone.

Jack Johnson’s quick-fire brace saw Thunder reap rewards from their quick and precise passing game on the left edge before fancy footwork on the right opened a gap that Jake Shorrocks exploited to bring up a 16-point lead

After competing further sets strongly in the Dewsbury half, Josh Woods pulled the trigger on a well-taken drop goal at the end of the first half to complete a satisfactory first forty minutes for Eamon O'Carroll's side.

Starting the second half strongly Johnson brought up his hat-trick just four minutes in, as he finished off a slick try that rewarded Thunder for keeping the ball in hand on the last.

Feinting a kick, Woods instead shipped the ball left where Thunder had numbers. A powerful drive from Ukuma Ta’ai allowed the Tongan international to slip the pass to Kieran Gill, with the centre carrying strongly towards the line before feeding to Johnson for the try.

Throwing everything at Thunder as they sought a way back into the contest, the Rams eventually grabbed a score back as the hour mark approached, with Joe Magrin powering over from short range.

It was an inroad that was quickly wiped off though when Woods showed great strength in the tackle as Thunder flooded forward onto the Rams defence. 

Turning himself and getting his carrying arm free, the half-back then converted his own try to get Thunder back up and running and enjoying a 21 point lead with 15 minutes to play.

While the result was secure, there was still plenty of life in the teams, with Ted Chapelhow latching on to a short pop pass to add Thunder’s seventh of the day before Paul Sykes and Tom Garratt snatched a pair in the closing stages for the hosts.

The final word though went with Thunder, as a quick pass to Matty Wright allowed the centre to crash through the attempted Rams tackles and put additional gloss onto a good day's work.

Newcastle are next in action this Friday as they kick off rugby league's big weekend in the north east against York City Knights at Kingston Park Stadium in a 7:45pm kick off, on the eve of the Dacia Magic Weekend at St James' Park 

Newcastle Thunder

5 Calum Turner, 2 Jack Johnson, 3 Matty Wright, 4 Kieran Gill, 18 Alex Clegg, 6 Jake Shorrocks, 7 Josh Woods, 15 Ted Chapelhow, 9 Bob Beswick, 10 Kyle Trout, 12 Sam Wilde, 17 Connor Bailey, 11 Ukuma Ta’ai, 16 Jay Chapelhow, 14 Evan Simons, 13 Liam McAvoy, 27 Alex Donaghy         

Tries: Turner (16), Johnson (21, 24, 46) Shorrocks (27) Woods (64) T Chapelhow (71) Wright (80)

Goals: Woods 5 / 8

Drop Goal: Woods 1 / 1

Dewsbury Rams

1 Joe Martin, 2 Andy Gabriel, 6 Paul Sykes, 15 Keenen Tomlinson, 4 Matty Fleming, 30 Alex Smith, 36 Riley Dean, 31 Robson Stevens, 33 Dom Speakman, 32 Jimmy Beckett, 10 Tom Garratt, 12 Michael Knowles, 9 Reiss Butterworth, 14 Sam Day, 34 Robbie Storey, 24 Jordan Schofield, 23 Jon Magrin

Tries: Fleming (6) Magrin (57) Sykes (75) Garratt (79)

Goals: Sykes 3 / 4