Super League: Hull KR 30-12 Wakefield Trinity - Ben Crooks scores four tries for hosts
- Published
Ben Crooks (centre) scored four of Hull KR's six tries against Wakefield
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Hull KR (10) 30 |
Tries: Crooks 4, Minikin, Brierley Goals: Ellis 3 |
Wakefield Trinity (6) 12 |
Tries: Westerman, J Wood Goals: Brough, Hampshire |
Ben Crooks scored four tries as Hull KR opened their Super League season with a home victory over Wakefield Trinity.
Crooks and fellow winger Greg Minikin both touched down in the first 12 minutes to give Rovers a 10-0 lead.
Joe Westerman's try reduced Wakefield's deficit to four points by half-time.
Crooks completed the first Super League hat-trick of the season and then claimed a high kick to score his fourth, with Ryan Brierley wrapping up the hosts' scoring late on.
Josh Wood grabbed Trinity's only second-half try, which had made the score 24-12 with about 15 minutes remaining, but Brierley found his way through Wakefield's defensive line to make the result safe.
Wakefield's cause was not helped by the loss of scrum-half Danny Brough to injury just after the break, which head coach Chris Chester said afterwards could be a damaged anterior cruciate ligament.
Both clubs will be hoping for improved showings in 2020, after finding themselves in danger of relegation with one match of last season remaining.
Rovers' pre-season preparations were overshadowed by the serious spinal injury sustained by forward Mose Masoe in a friendly between the two teams earlier in the month.
A bucket collection was staged outside the ground to raise money for the 30-year-old Samoa international, while more than £45,000 has so far been donated on an online fundraising page.
Hull KR head coach Tony Smith: "He (Masoe) will be smiling for us. He sent us a lovely message earlier in the week. He's with us every week, he's part of us.
"He will be with us when we win and he will be with us when we lose. Some of the spirit of Mose is always going to be there. We play with spirit and it can take you a long way.
"Crooks has come up with four tries and that is something special and I'm pleased about that. Some boys stepped up and they are finding out how good they can be."
Wakefield head coach Chris Chester: "(I was) very disappointed in the effort of some individuals tonight. I thought we just got outmuscled.
"I was disappointed with the errors, 16 errors, you can't win any games playing like that.
"Guys were just probably trying too hard, guys just making stuff up.
"It looked like we were a group of players just thrown together. We need to be a lot better so I expect a big reaction next week."
Hull KR: Quinlan; Minikin, Kenny-Dowall, Linnett, Crooks; Ellis, Brierley; Lawler, Litten, Murray, Livett, Storton, Abdull.
Interchanges: Mulhern, Garbutt, Maher, Minchella.
Wakefield: Hampshire; Atkins, Lyne, Tupou, Johnstone; Miller, Brough; Tanginoa, J Wood, Kopczak, Ashurst, Pitts, Westerman.
Interchanges: K Wood, Navarrete, Tangata, Kirmond.
Referee: Robert Hicks