Thunder are a good 2022 Bet after win
DEWSBURY RAMS 22 NEWCASTLE THUNDER 43
NEWCASTLE Thunder secured Betfred Championship rugby league for the 2022 season in fine style with an eight-try showing in a comprehensive win over Dewsbury Rams.
A first triumph for a Thunder side at the Tetley’s Stadium, it was a game the visitors controlled for large spells as they rose to ninth in the table and ensured they will remain in the game’s second tier for next year.
It was an inauspicious start for the Thunder however, with early handling errors handing over possession and conceding an early try to the Rams as Dewsbury started brightly.
Winning the aerial battle for a cross-field kick after Thunder attempted to work a try after being award a repeat set, Matty Flemming was presented with an unopposed run to the Thunder line as he scored the ultimate counterattack try.
It was the start of a period where the Rams asked plenty questions of the Newcastle defence but where determined tackling from the visitors ensured that these waves were repelled.
Having ridden out that storm, a superb individual try from Calum Turner took the Thunder into a lead they would never relinquish, the full-back stepping three defenders before evading the efforts of two pursuers as he completed an eightymeter break.
There was another period of pressure from the hosts but Newcastle seized control of the game in commanding fashion with three tries in six minutes with a quarter of the game gone..
Jack Johnson’s quick-fire brace saw the Thunder reap rewards from their quick and precise passing game on the left edge before fancy footwork on the right opened a gap Jake Shorrocks exploited to bring up a 16-point lead
After competing further sets strongly in the Dewsbury half, Josh Woods pulled the trigger on a welltaken drop goal at the end of the first half to complete a satisfactory opening 40 minutes for Eamon O’Carroll’s side.
Starting the second half strongly, Johnson brought up his hat-trick just four minutes in as he finished of a slick try which rewarded the Thunder for keeping the ball in hand on the last.
Feinting a kick, Woods instead shipped the ball left where the Thunder had numbers.
A powerful drive from Ukuma Ta’ai allowed the Tongan international to slip the pass to Kieran Gill, the centre carrying strongly towards the line before feeding to Johnson for the try.
Throwing everything at the Thunder as they sought a way back into the contest, the Rams eventually grabbed a score back as the hour mark approached – Joe Magrin powering over from short range.
It was an inroad quickly wiped off, though, when Woods showed great strength in the tackle and got Newcastle back up and running, his conversion taking the lead back to 21 points with 15 minutes to play.
While the result was secure, there was still plenty of life in the teams, with Ted Chapelhow adding the hunder’s seventh of the day before Paul Sykes and Tom Garratt snatched a pair for the Rams in the closing stages.
The final word, though, went with the Thunder as a quick pass to Matty Wright allowed the centre to crash through the attempted Rams tackles and put additional gloss on to a good day’s work.
Newcastle are next in action on Friday as they kick off rugby league’s big Dacia Magic Weekend weekend in the North East against York City Knights at Kingston Park Stadium (7.45).