Disappointing Rams suffer heavy defeat to Halifax

Dewsbury had battled back to trail just 22-18 early in the second half but Halifax capitalised on a number of handling errors to pull away with the game late on.

The Rams were unlucky early on when Gareth Moore appeared to have launched a 40-20 kick downfield but Halifax were awarded the scrum, denying them chance to attack.

Halifax struck first after 10 minutes when Chester Butler burst through a tackle and shrugged off another defender on a bustling run to the line and Steve Tyrer converted.

Dewsbury responded immediately as Dale Morton scooped up a loose ball and fed Moore on the outside.

Moore raced down the wing and slipped the ball back inside for Morton to race over and Paul Sykes levelled with the conversion.

Macauley Hallett looked to have given Dewsbury the lead when he appeared to pounce on Sykes’s kick to the in-goal area but referee Marcus Griffiths judged the ball had rolled dead just before the centre had touched down.

Halifax took control with two tries in five minutes as Scott Murrell fed half-back partner Ben Johnston and he slipped the ball out to Brandon Moore, who raced away to score, with Tyrer converting.

Murrell then fed Quentin Laulu-Togagae, who sent James Saltonstall plunging over for a try wide out as Fax led 16-6.

Ben Kaye nipped over for a try from acting half-back after Fax had taken play close to the line, with Tyrer converting before the Rams fought back either side of half-time.

Dewsbury were awarded a scrum after a Halifax defender knocked on attempting to intercept a pass and they moved left for Dom Speakman to cross wide out and Sykes landed a terrific conversion.

Dewsbury ended the first half on top and the began the second half well to add a third try.

Kyle Trout was held up over the try line following a storming run before the impressive Speakman produced a sublime reverse pass on the last tackle to open the Halifax defence and Sykes raced through a gap to dive over and then convert.

Dewsbury were aggrieved as Halifax were allowed to kick off before Sykes got back in position following his goal kick and when the Rams were judged to have knocked on in their in-goal area it proved the turning point in the match.

Halifax drove play close to the line following the drop out and Murrell’s neat short pass sent Butler over for his second try, which Tyrer improved.

Murrell then capitalised on a Rams error as he scooped up a loose ball and raced away before feeding Laulu-Togagae.

Although he was tackled, the Rams defence were struggling to get back and the full-back was prevented from taking a quick play the ball to Murrell and Lucas Walshaw was sin-binned.

Murrell and Laulu-Togagae linked to send Tyrer bouncing off a defender to crash over and the centre again converted from wide out.

Laulu-Togagae looked to have sent Tyrer over for his second try moments later but play was brought back for a forward pas, although Halifax finished strongly with two further tries.

Laulu-Togagae scooped up another loose ball as the Rams knocked on in a promising attacking position and he accelerated away, outpacing the Rams defence on an 80 metre run to the line for a try on his Fax debut and Tyrer tagged on his sixth goal.

The Rams were on attack again but yet another pass went to ground and Will Sharp hacked it on and won the race to regather the ball and storm away for another long range try which Tyrer improved.

It ended a disappointing afternoon for the Rams, who remain eighth place in the table after 10 games.

Dewsbury Rams: Guzdek; Worrincy, Glover, Hallett, Morton; Sykes, G Moore; Sheriffe, Ward, Teanby, Crowther, Spicer, Brown. Subs: Speakman, Walshaw, Annakin, Trout.

Halifax: Laulu-Togagae; McGrath, Tyrer, Saltonstall, Sharp; Murrell, Johnston; Fairbank, B Moore, Maher, Butler, Grady, Grix. Subs: Kaye, Morris, Fleming, Green.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths.

Attendance: 1,394.