Hall sets try record as Hull KR beat Huddersfield

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (10) 32

Tries: Hiku 2, May, Parcell, Hall 2 Goals: Lewis 4

Huddersfield (6) 6

Tries: Marsters Goals: Russell

Ryan Hall scored a record-breaking 248th Super League try as Hull KR fought back to beat Huddersfield 32-6 at Craven Park.

Ethan Marsters’ early try and an Olly Russell penalty put Huddersfield ahead before Tyrone May teed up a levelling score for Peta Hiku and then produced a brilliant finish to give Rovers a 10-6 lead at the break.

Matt Parcell’s early second-half score and a second Mikey Lewis goal quickly extended the lead to 10 points and Hiku’s second try sealed victory as the Giants wilted.

Huddersfield had Andre Savelio sent off 70 minutes into his debut for an off-the-ball clash with Elliot Minchella before two tries in as many minutes took Hall past Danny McGuire as Super League's all-time leading try scorer.

A sixth successive home win keeps Rovers in third, level with second-placed St Helens and within two points of leaders Wigan Warriors who narrowly squeezed past Castleford Tigers.

Huddersfield remain four points outside the play-off places in eighth after a fifth defeat in six Super League outings.

Ryan Hall's late brace took him to 248 career Super League tries

Hall leaves it late to end wait for record

Hall had gone scoreless in three Super League matches since moving within one of McGuire’s mark of 247 tries against St Helens on 4 May.

The 36-year-old winger looked like he may have to wait another week to match his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate’s mark, but on 73 minutes, and with the game already won, he collected Mikey Lewis's grubber kick to move level with McGuire.

And with just two minutes left, Lewis’s cut-out pass sent Hall racing away into the history books.

It sparked euphoria in the stands, and a poignant celebration from the record breaker as Hall pointed to the sky in honour of his former team-mate Rob Burrows.

The feat in itself was a fitting tribute to the Leeds great just a week after his death.

Ryan Hall also moved above Shaun Edwards into 21st in the list of all-time scorers in the British game with a 327th score in all competitions

Superb May inspires fightback

Huddersfield were on the back foot from kick-off, but hit the front when Marsters intercepted May’s looping pass and sprinted the length of the pitch to score.

Home frustrations intensified when a third penalty conceded in quick succession gave Russell a simple penalty.

Both sides trade mistakes and penalties during a high-intensity first half, and when Jake Bibby coughed up possession within metres of his own line, team-mate Adam Milner was sent to the sin-bin for tackling Lewis as he chased his own kick through.

While much of Rovers’ pre-match focus was given to Hall as he chased the elusive score, it was two pieces of sublime skill from May that finally gave Rovers the initiative shortly before the break.

After Elliot Minchella was held up under the posts, Rovers finally exploited their man advantage when May slid through an angled grubber kick for Hiku to cross unchallenged.

May was then involved in a flowing Rovers move before capping it with a flying one-handed finish in the right corner.

Rovers put the hammer down straight after the restart, keeping the ball alive superbly for Parcell to exchange passes with Dean Hadley before the hooker’s arcing run took him to the line.

May was once again influential in Rovers’ decisive fourth try, his break and neat offload allowing Niall Evalds to burst clear and feed Hiku for his second score of the night.

With victory secure, all that was left to add was the gloss - and Hall duly obliged.

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters told BBC Radio Humberside:

“It was a great performance by the team, but tonight is Ryan Hall’s night.

“He has been waiting a long time for that and it’s well deserved. His career speaks for itself and what he has achieved is amazing.

“You can’t do what he has done without being a professional. I’ve seen at first hand over the last 18 months what he does to get himself into the right condition he needs to.

“He is a great person to have around the place and brings a hell of a lot to the squad.”

Huddersfield Giants head coach Ian Watson told BBC Radio Leeds:

“I don’t think the score reflected the game.

"There were two real tough teams going at it for large periods, but the same things have come back and bitten us a little bit - ill-discipline and stone-cold drop errors which you just can’t account for.

“At the moment it’s not like it’s one or two players, it’s three or four who are making them, and just when we have started to get a bit of ascendancy.”

Hull KR: Evalds, Broadbent, Hiku, Opacic, Hall, May, Lewis, Sue, Litten, Whitbread, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella.

Interchanges: Parcell, Luckley, Storton, Tanginoa.

Huddersfield: Lolohea, Halsall, Marsters, Naiqama, Bobby, Russell, Clune, Hill, Milner, Greenwood, Hewitt, Rushton, Yates.

Interchanges: Golding, Wilson, Savelio, Ikahihifo.

Sin-bin: Milner (27).

Sent-off: Savelio (70).

Referee: Tom Grant.