Gives Rovers slimline tonic

SLIMLINE prop Mitch Garbutt grabbed two tries as Hull KR produced a stirring second-half comeback.

Aussie Garbutt, who won two Super League Grand Finals with Leeds, touched down twice after London led 6-4 at the break.

Craig Hall also crossed the Broncos try line and kicked two conversions in the impressive fightback.

“Mitch is coming on and making a difference,” said Rovers coach Tim Sheens.

“His carries are great, he’s got good feet and he’s clever with the ball.

“We set him some targets on body fat and he’s achieved that. He still wants to lose a bit more but he is a different shape to what he has been the last couple of years.”

London coach Danny Ward said: “We thought we had them on the rack and could have scored more tries in the first half.

“But we were our own worst enemies in the second. You talk about being smart with the ball at half-time.

“Instead we came out and dropped the ball on our first set then dropped the ball on the second.”

Broncos were good value for their interval lead but should have enjoyed a greater advantage.

Ex-NRL forward Kane Linnett bulldozed over to give Rovers an ideal start after three minutes.

The visitors were slicker and more inventive but could only manage a ninth-minute Matty Gee touchdown, converted by ex-Rover Kieran Dixon, for their efforts.

But 18 points in 16 minutes transformed the contest. Garbutt (left) barged over for the first of his brace after 43 minutes before staging a repeat just before the hour to give him three tries for the new campaign.

In between, winger Hall finished off a slick handling move before improving his own try.

Last season’s Million Pound Game winners have now lost two successive games since opening their season with a home victory over Wakefield.

But they finished with Jay Pitts’ try to add some deserved respectability to the scoreline.