Super League: Hull KR 16-23 Catalans - Dragons beat Rovers for 12th straight win
- Published
Catalans Dragons winger Roman Franco's debut try came just a minute before half-time at Craven Park
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Hull KR (4) 16 |
Tries: Quinlan 2 Goals: Abdull 4 |
Catalans (8) 23 |
Tries: Franco, Langi, S Tomkins Goals: Maloney 5 Drop Goal: Maloney |
Super League leaders Catalans Dragons were taken the distance by Hull KR at Craven Park as they extended their club-record winning streak to 12 games.
Tries either side of the break by debutant Romain Franco and Samisoni Langi gave Catalans a cushion before Sam Tomkins' solo effort for the third.
The second of two converted second-half tries from home full-back Adam Quinlan kept Rovers interested.
But, by then, James Maloney's late drop goal had taken Catalans out of reach.
Maloney also kicked three conversions and a penalty for an individual 11-point haul, while Jordan Abdull landed four goals for the hosts.
Rovers had a crowd of 6, 347 for their first home match in nearly two months following the easing of Covid-19 regulations - but it ended ultimately in disappointment.
After an early Maloney penalty, there was no more first-half scoring until a flurry of activity just before the break.
No sooner had Abdull levelled with his boot than Sam Tomkins found Franco who went over in the right corner.
Maloney added the two, before Abdull then took his chance to fire over another two-pointer in time added on after the hooter to make it 8-4. But Catalans then took just three second-half minutes to claim a second try.
Quinlan spilled a high bomb from Josh Drinkwater after being outjumped by Joel Tomkins, the ball ran loose and Langi swooped to score.
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Maloney added the two, only for Quinlan to then score Rovers' first try on 54 minutes, Abdull reducing the margin again to 14-10. But Sam Tomkins then weaved his way over 11 minutes from half-time for a classic solo try.
Maloney landed the conversion and a penalty three minutes later - but the Australian half-back still felt the need to kick a 74th-minute drop goal to take the Dragons three scores clear - and it proved a sound decision when Quinlan went over for a second time on 77 minutes.
Abdull landed his fourth goal of the night, but it left the hosts with only three minutes to score twice against the league leaders. And, although Sam Tomkins was sin-binned with 20 seconds left, Rovers were left with too much to do.
Who's up next?
Catalans now head for second-placed St Helens for a top-of-the-table showdown this Saturday looking to become the first Super League side to win 13 games on the trot since Saints did it themselves in 2008.
Their current 12-game run is the best in Super League since 2018, also by Saints.
Seventh-placed Hull KR's next game is at winless bottom club Leigh on Sunday.
What they said
Rovers head coach Tony Smith:
"Most weeks if you throw Sam Tomkins into two close teams then he can do something. He came up with some special plays.
"We're competing with the top of the league there. A couple of years ago when I came to this place if we had lost to the best team in the comp we'd have thought we had had a good crack at it.
"Now we go into each match thinking we have a chance. We had more grit about our goal-line defence and held them out for long periods. Unfortunately we weren't able to put a bit more scoreboard pressure on them."
Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara:
"Hull KR are a good team. They will be a danger if they get in the play-offs. We're thankful we've managed three wins against them.
"It's as good a win as we've had this season. There was every reason to come here and not win. We were out on our feet at the end. We lost our captain two weeks back, Ben Garcia, with a badly broken arm. But the boys who've come in and have done us proud.
"Sam Tomkins is a genuine leader. His performance was incredible. He nearly didn't make the trip as his wife is going to have a baby tomorrow."
Hull KR: Quinlan; Crooks, Minikin, Kenny-Dowall, Hall; Takairangi, Abdull; King, Parcell, Maher, Linnett, Johnson, Hadley.
Interchanges: Vete, Litten, Lawler, Storton.
Catalans: S Tomkins; Yaha, Langi, Whare, Franco; Maloney, Drinkwater; Goudemand, Da Costa, Dudson, Jullien, McMeeken, J Tomkins.
Sin bin: S Tomkins (79).
Interchanges: Mourgue, Seguier, Chan, Kasiano.
Referee: Robert Hicks