ALL BETTS ON Mellor delivers to take survival bid to the wire
JOE MELLOR helped Widnes back up their coach’s bold claim to set up a Super League survival shootout next weekend.
Denis Betts had stoked the pre-match fire by saying none of the London Broncos side would get into his team.
When the Vikings trailed 6-0 after the opening quarter it looked as though the words could come back to haunt him.
But with Mellor scoring twice his side controlled the remainder of the clash, setting up a winnerstays-up trip to Catalans Dragons on Saturday.
The loser will drop into the Million Pound Game against Leigh Centurions and Betts is eager for his side to secure their top- flight status at the first attempt.
He said: “It’s a tough ask for us to go over there and win, but we know it’s possible. We’re in control of our destiny, but Catalans will feel the same way.
“These eights have been an emotional rollercoaster, but we always said we needed to win these last two games.”
A draw in France would also be good enough for the Vikings, but for London their hopes of a Super League return must wait at least 12 months.
Coach Andrew Henderson said: “I know we’re capable of a lot better than we showed.
“We looked a shadow of the team that we’ve been in this competition and at the back end of the Championship and the players have to take accountability for that.” Henderson’s side led when prop Mark Ioane barged over from close range, but by half time they were 22-6 behind.
Matt Whitley, Lloyd White, Danny Craven and Charly Runciman all touched down, with the Broncos finishing the half with 12 after Matt Gee was sin-binned for a late hit.
It looked like becoming one-sided when Craven shot over for his second just after the restart, but London scored twice through Jarrod Sammut and Kieran Dixon.
Mellor’s first kept them at arm’s length, though, and after James Cunningham and Runciman were also shown yellow cards, the Widnes stand-off had the final word in the last minute.
Betts hopes to have Aaron Heremaia and Corey Thompson back in contention for Catalans, but White’s season – and possibly his World Cup with Wales – is over after a second-half hamstring injury. BEN YOUNGS’ double strike got Tigers off the mark for the season – but boss Matt O’Connor was still spitting.
Leicester had three tries with just 22 minutes on the clock but could not get a bonus point for the fourth.
Gloucester played like a pub team in the first half to trail 21-0 but hit back in the second, winning it 10-3, and could have nicked a losing bonus point.
Tigers managed to put the block on that but Aussie O’Connor was not impressed by the way his crew let the visitors back in the game.
He said: “I was a bit disappointed. We knew they were going to come back quite hard – they were playing for pride and we let them back in.
“We were really comfortable at half-time but let ourselves down a bit in the second half.”
After losses to Bath and Northampton, Tigers were out of the blocks like Usain Bolt, playing with intensity after two powder-puff games.
O’Connor added: “We got bullied at Saints last week when we were not physical or accurate enough.”
Tigers were cruising at the break with Youngs bagging a couple of tries and Aussie wing Nick Malouf getting the third with a sharp finish.
In the second period, prop Josh Hohneck went over and the comeback was on but Tigers killed it and the visitors didn’t get any change out of ref Craig Maxwell-Keys.
Gloucester boss Johan Ackermann said: “I just wanted the team to show some character.”