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Sat 02 Feb 2013
SeniorsGateshead Thunder
16
48
Royal Navy Rugby League 16:48 Gateshead Thunder
Keith Humpleby7 Feb 2013 - 17:43
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A little bit of RNRL history was made on Saturday when the Navy’s Rugby League team welcomed professional opposition to Burnaby Road for the first time
The visitors Gateshead Thunder had made the long trip down from the north east as part of pre season training with a bit of team bonding thrown in for good measure. RNRL head coach Danny Johnson was under no illusions as to the task that faced him and his players especially with 6 regular first team players unavailable through operational commitments. However by the time the final whistle blew Johnson and the rest of the Coaching staff were more than impressed with the performance his team put up against the Thunder who had, amongst their ranks, four loan players from Super League Club Hull Kingston Rovers.
If the RN Coaches were in any doubt as to the task ahead of them the first few minutes brought it home in no uncertain terms. With barely 4 minutes on the clock the visitors were over for their first try, swift handling from the kick off and an offside penalty gave Thunder the advantage which they duly took out wide with a great conversion RNRL were down by 6. A good response was needed and it came with the RN first meaningful attack good pressure through midfield gave RNRL the initiative,Skipper Robinson spread the play out to Aaron Johnson who n sent a well weighted pass to Mike Haldenby who beat the cover and the RN were back in the game. The see saw nature of the game continued as Thunder struck back with another converted try out on the left for Colquhoun converted by Gav Beasley. Full of belief the navy kept their heads up and pressured the Thunder line to seek the score, after back to back penalties RNRL closed on the line only to be held up short. On the next play however influential RN skipper Mark Robinson crashed over to poach the try, Darren Bamford’s conversion made it 10:12. As the game moved into the second quarter Thunder crossed a further three times before the RN could respond. The RN third and final try was as a result of great build up and pressure to the Thunder line, the RN attack drew in the defence before an inch perfect pass from Robinson found Matt Corrigan 5 metres out who had a stroll to the line for his score. Another Bamford conversion rounded of the half, referee Dennis Nowell signalling the end of an action packed and entertaining first forty minutes, 16:28 to the visitors.
The second half went very much the way of the Gateshead outfit who scored a further four unanswered try’s against an RN team who were always competitive but lacking in experience as a team. With the Coaches agreeing on unlimited substitutions Johnson was able to rotate all his 24 squad players throughout the half. The first team regulars all played well with a lot of cameo performances from the new blood giving RNRL coaching staff a lot to build on in the next fixture on 23rd February when the side travels to Humberside to take on Hull Dockers. This match pits RN Coach Danny Johnson against his brother Martin, a former RNRL player himself, now a centre with the Dockers.
RN Scorers T:- Haldenby Robinson Corrigan
G:- Bamford (2 Conv)
Teams RNRL
Darren Bamford, Mike Haldenby, Tommy Wilkinson, Silivenusi Buinimasi, Kitione Kamikamika, Aaron Johnson, Ryan Matthews, Matt Corrigan, Mark Robinson, Chapman, Craig Sutton, Ben Taylor, Steve Riley, Ben Cartwright, Manoa Satala, Richard Binns, Lee Gaskell, Craig Sutton, Lloyd Williamson, Ben Johnson, Ellis Lacey,Jono Bethwaite, Rob Code, Tim Tamalayu
Gateshead Thunder
Luke Hardcastle, Nick Johnson (VC), Rowan Colquhoun, Joe Brown, Jacob Blades, Gav Beasley, Ben Hardcastle, Jack Smith, Tom Hodgson, Stephen Welton, Jack Watkins, Curtis Pullen, Aaron Ollett, Conor Condron, James Green, Jack Stearman, Chris Parker, Josh Stoker, Tom Capper, Josh Neilson, Jason Payne (C)
If the RN Coaches were in any doubt as to the task ahead of them the first few minutes brought it home in no uncertain terms. With barely 4 minutes on the clock the visitors were over for their first try, swift handling from the kick off and an offside penalty gave Thunder the advantage which they duly took out wide with a great conversion RNRL were down by 6. A good response was needed and it came with the RN first meaningful attack good pressure through midfield gave RNRL the initiative,Skipper Robinson spread the play out to Aaron Johnson who n sent a well weighted pass to Mike Haldenby who beat the cover and the RN were back in the game. The see saw nature of the game continued as Thunder struck back with another converted try out on the left for Colquhoun converted by Gav Beasley. Full of belief the navy kept their heads up and pressured the Thunder line to seek the score, after back to back penalties RNRL closed on the line only to be held up short. On the next play however influential RN skipper Mark Robinson crashed over to poach the try, Darren Bamford’s conversion made it 10:12. As the game moved into the second quarter Thunder crossed a further three times before the RN could respond. The RN third and final try was as a result of great build up and pressure to the Thunder line, the RN attack drew in the defence before an inch perfect pass from Robinson found Matt Corrigan 5 metres out who had a stroll to the line for his score. Another Bamford conversion rounded of the half, referee Dennis Nowell signalling the end of an action packed and entertaining first forty minutes, 16:28 to the visitors.
The second half went very much the way of the Gateshead outfit who scored a further four unanswered try’s against an RN team who were always competitive but lacking in experience as a team. With the Coaches agreeing on unlimited substitutions Johnson was able to rotate all his 24 squad players throughout the half. The first team regulars all played well with a lot of cameo performances from the new blood giving RNRL coaching staff a lot to build on in the next fixture on 23rd February when the side travels to Humberside to take on Hull Dockers. This match pits RN Coach Danny Johnson against his brother Martin, a former RNRL player himself, now a centre with the Dockers.
RN Scorers T:- Haldenby Robinson Corrigan
G:- Bamford (2 Conv)
Teams RNRL
Darren Bamford, Mike Haldenby, Tommy Wilkinson, Silivenusi Buinimasi, Kitione Kamikamika, Aaron Johnson, Ryan Matthews, Matt Corrigan, Mark Robinson, Chapman, Craig Sutton, Ben Taylor, Steve Riley, Ben Cartwright, Manoa Satala, Richard Binns, Lee Gaskell, Craig Sutton, Lloyd Williamson, Ben Johnson, Ellis Lacey,Jono Bethwaite, Rob Code, Tim Tamalayu
Gateshead Thunder
Luke Hardcastle, Nick Johnson (VC), Rowan Colquhoun, Joe Brown, Jacob Blades, Gav Beasley, Ben Hardcastle, Jack Smith, Tom Hodgson, Stephen Welton, Jack Watkins, Curtis Pullen, Aaron Ollett, Conor Condron, James Green, Jack Stearman, Chris Parker, Josh Stoker, Tom Capper, Josh Neilson, Jason Payne (C)
Further reading
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