Super 8 setback was an inside job

Hull Kingston Rovers return home relieved. The Toronto Wolfpack wonder what might have been.

The first Super League side to visit Toronto prevailed 28-22 Saturday in a rugby league playoff nail-biter that could have gone the Wolfpack’s way. The result before 7,540 at Lamport Stadium left both teams at 1-1 with five games remaining to play in the Super 8s Qualifiers, still in the hunt to secure Super League status.

“We had more than (enough) opportunities to win the game,” lamented Wolfpack coach Paul Rowley. “I thought we beat ourselves quite often.

“I’m sure it was a great game to watch for the neutral (fan). But for us as a group it was frustrating.”

Added captain Josh McCrone: “We probably did well to be within six points at the end the way we played ... When you go out to play football, you want to put your best foot forward and me personally and as a team, I don’t think we did that today.”

The second-year Wolfpack repeatedly laid siege on the visitors’ goal-line, repelled by hardnosed defence or denied by their own errors.

Toronto, which topped the second-tier Betfred Championship during the regular season with a 20-2-1 record, had lost its two previous games with teams from the top-flight — 66-10 in May to Warrington Wolves and 29-22 in 2017 to Salford Red Devils, both in Ladbrokes Challenge Cup play.

Handling errors by Chase Stanley and McCrone killed off early Toronto attacks just metres from the HKR goal-line before Nick Rawsthorne dove over in the corner for a 6-0 Wolfpack lead.

The visitors responded with two tries after Toronto gave away possession.

Junior Vaivai ran in a try. Former Wolfpack captain Craig Hall gave HKR a 12-6 lead after intercepting a Gareth O’Brien pass near the visitors’ try-line and racing 90 yards for the 25th-minute score.

A late penalty made it 14-6 at the break.

Toronto went up16-14 — on an Andrew Dixon converted try and two O’Brien penalties — before HKR went ahead 26-16 on converted tries by Chris Atkin and Chris Clarkson in the 60th and 63rd minutes.

Toronto answered with another Dixon try in the 73rd minute to cut the lead to 26-22. Hall then added a 40-metreplus penalty for the coup de grace in the 76th minute to make it 28-22.

“A tough game for a coach to sit through,” said a clearly relieved HKR coach Tim Sheens. “But to our credit we hung on and got away with a win.”

Toronto lost Blake Wallace late in the first half when he failed a head injury assessment.

O’Brien kicked three conversions and two penalties for Toronto. Danny Tickle kicked four conversions and Hall booted another penalty for HKR.

The Super 8s Qualifiers pit the bottom four teams in the top division against the top four of the Championship in a roundrobin competition.

The top three finishers earn Super League status while No 4 takes on No. 5 in what is dubbed the Million Pound Game to see who joins them.

The Wolfpack are off until Sept. 1 when they host the London Broncos, the only Championship team to beat them this season.