ROVERS GET REVENGE
Robins beat holders to close in on a return to Wembley
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JOE BURGESS scored twice, including a sensational 90m effort, as Hull KR dumped holders Leigh out of the Challenge Cup.
Victory will not ever make up for agonisingly losing against the same opponents in last year’s final but Willie Peters’ side are now just 80 minutes from returning to Wembley.
Winger Burgess was not part of the Rovers side that fell to Lachlan Lam’s golden point drop-goal.
The former Wigan star only joined on a 12-month deal after his surprise Salford sacking in January but he is definitely making his mark.
Burgess raced 90m and rounded Aussie star Matt Moylan for an eighth-minute opener to get the hosts up and running in the quarter-final.
After Leigh hit back to lead 8-4 at the break, Burgess produced another quality finish in the 46th minute and they never looked back.
He has now scored six tries in four games and Peters said: “Joe was great. He scored that try for us and that pace is something we probably lacked last year.
“Bringing in someone like Joe, he can make a line break and score from long range. I’m really happy for him. He’s a good person and he’s fitted in really well.
“We have a decision to make [about extending his contract] and he’s doing everything he can.
“It was a great game. Both teams went hard. And it’s probably the edgiest I’ve been as it got to the end. But we dug deep and I’m really proud of them.”
Leigh fielded eight players from the squad that last season brought a glorious first cup final win in 52 years for the club.
Adrian Lam’s side have won just once all season so they were already ripe for the taking.
However, they were not out of this until the very last play.
Ben McNamara threw a desperate pass near his own line to try to take the game into extra-time.
But it only reached KR’s Tyrone May, who palmed it down for his skipper Elliot Minchella (above) to
jubilantly finish things off. England scrum-half Mikey Lewis was terrific for the hosts, who also saw Niall Evalds and the excellent Kelepi Tanginoa cross for tries, Lewis finishing with three goals.
Rovers also had three efforts disallowed via Jai Whitbread, Dean
Hadley and May, which meant Leigh were still in touch after Kai O’Donnell and Umyla Hanley tries.
Moylan slotted three goals and boss Lam said: “Right up to the last set I was hoping for a miracle try but it wasn’t to be.
“We could have [won] but we didn’t complete. It’s probably the best rugby we’ve played in the first half but we fell on our own sword with mistakes. That hurt us.”
HULL FC are set to appoint exEngland star Richie Myler, 33, as director of rugby – tasked with bringing in a new head coach after Tony Smith’s sacking on Thursday. HULL KR: Tries: Burgess (2), Tanginoa, Evalds, Minchella; Cons: Lewis (3).
LEIGH LEOPARDS: Tries: O’Donnell, Hanley Pen: Moylan; Cons: Moylan (2)