Sunday's Coming: Workington Town

Workington come to… er… Town on Sunday with a big St Helens connection of their own. They're now coached by Phil Veivers - who scored 98 tries (and five drop goals) in 380 games over a stonking 13 year career at Knowsley Road. Legendary stuff.

Phil gives it to the Aussies

Last week the Cumbrians ended a run of five straight defeats, coming back from 14-6 down to snatch a shock draw with Championship pretenders Halifax. Town scored two quick-fire late tries topped by a last minute penalty from the influential Carl Forber to share the points, leaving Veivers in buoyant mood. 

Speaking in the News & Star (two paper for the price of one!), he said: “There were some individual brain-storms which cost us but generally I was pleased wth the intensity and I thought we could have won it.”

“We’ve worked on our defence and fitness levels, being able to see-out the 80 minutes and I’m satisfied with that aspect of our play against a well-drilled Halifax, one of the better teams in the competition.

“It’s important now to take it on from there and we will be working hard again during the week getting it right for Rochdale. There is still improvement needed but I think we are getting there.”

Most interestingly, Forber finished the game with 100% from the boot, so worth considering that that any kicking opportunity conceded could yield the 2 points that makes the difference.

Having last year registered the whole Widnes squad on Dual Registration, Worky now have a shiny new DR deal with Wigan - and played four Wigan Dual Reg players in last week's game: 19 year-old pie-eating tyro Dominic Manfredi grabbing one of the crucial late tries. 

Another Wigan DR Lewis Tierney missed the Halifax game after suffering medial ligament damage to his knee in Town’s derby defeat at Whitehaven on Good Friday. He remains doubtful for Sunday's game. 

Also in doubt is Town's former Championship One Young Player of the Year, Elliot Miller. The winger tore his ACL back in February and, though the knee has imprioved, he continues to suffer from a prolapsed disc and will learn this week whether he'll need an operation that would end his season.

With Workington currently sitting 11th and a point behind Hornets, this is another crucial 'must win' game for both sides - and a win on Sunday would take Hornets halfway to the ten wins that Ian Talbot said pre-season would put us in the mix to stay up. With only just over a third of the season gone, that'd be a pretty major achievement.


Workington Town Team that drew with Halifax was:
Jack Murphy (DR)
Dominic Manfredi (DR)
Jason Mossop
Kayle Connor
Brett Carter
Graeme Mattinson
Kris Coward
Carl Forber
Sam Powell (DR)
Marc Shackley
Liam McAvoy
Jarrad Stack
Connor Farrell  (DR)
Peter Lupton
Callum Phillips
Brett Phillips
Daniel Rooney


RFL Match Preview

Hornets will be looking to make it four wins in a row when they host Workington Town. Hornets have beaten Whitehaven, North Wales Crusaders and Swinton Lions in recent weeks to climb above the relegation places.

But coach Ian Talbot insists they must be on their guard against a Town side that drew with Halifax on Sunday. Talbot said: “They’re an unpredictable team because they don’t always have the same players from Wigan week-in, week-out. They had Sam Powell last week who has a good relationship with Jack Murphy at full-back, as well as Dom Manfredi and Connor Farrell all down the same edge.”

Talbot will be without centre Mike Ratu after he picked up a potentially season-ending knee injury at weekend.

Workington coach Phil Veivers believes he is now starting to see the kind of progress in his side that he’s been looking for. Veivers said: “Last week was a massive improvement, although we do still have some issues on ball control. But there were lots of positives against Halifax for us."

“I’ve seen Rochdale’s game from the weekend, and they have a pretty big pack and some smart players in Ryan Millard and Paul Crook. They have plenty of threat and some speed on the edges, and we’ll need to be good across the park.”

Veivers’ only injury problem is long-term absentee Elliott Miller.

Hornets give Swinton the Blues

Hornets 31 Swinton 16

The Championship's second biggest crowd of the day was treated to an archetypal game of two halves - a full-blooded derby described before the game by both captains as a 'must win'.  And on Wayne English's 100th game in Hornets colours he and his his team-mates produced a whirlwind first half that effectively sealed the win.

Hornets went off like a house on fire. A huge 4th minute 40/20 from Paul Crook and Mike Ratu crashing in close to the line, only for Ratu to suffer an injury that saw him carried from the field.

It necessitated a shuffle of the threequarters to accommodate Lewis Sheridan and it took a further ten minutes before Hornets regained their rhythm. Hornets hit the front when a teasing Paul Crook lob into the corner was touched down by the flag by Sheridan.

And just two minutes later, Anthony Walker smuggled a pass out of the back of a three-man tackle to find Sean Casey arriving like lightning to gather and dash under the black dot. Crook with the conversion for 10-0.

Hornets now had all the momentum and when Swinton conceded a penalty in possession on 24 minutes for pushing Tony Suffolk over, it was really only going to end one way. Indeed, a repeat set and Jordan Case lunged in from acting half after Paul Crook had dummied his way through four tackles. Crooky with the extras for 16-nil.

On the half hour a teasing kick towards the corner from Crooky saw the Swinton winger make a complete hash of it: Ormsby - distracted by the flying Gaz Langley - lost the flight of the ball and Danny Davies was on hand to gather and score. Crooky coolly slotted over the two.

Swinton ended the half with three repeat sets, but no matter how hard they pushed and probed, Hornets fantastic defence gave them nothing and they went to the break a dominant 22-nil up.

The second half with both teams seemingly having had a persona transplant. Hornets now hesitant and backing off in the tackle: Swinton more expansive and playing at a much higher tempo.

It took just five minutes for the Lions to catch the Hornets defence napping: A Hawkyard break and quick-hands wide where Worthington scored in the corner. Then, on 50 minutes, the other Hawkyard came crashing through after a scrappy approach set and Peet added the two to take Swinton within reach of the bonus point at 22-10.

There looked to be some respite two miutes later when Swinton conceded a penalty for not playing the ball correctly. Crooky missed what loked like a simple kick and the idiot on the music erroneously hit the 'goal' button.

Just after the hour Swinton continued their comeback. Another messy approach and this time Bowman scoring out wide. Watson adding the 500th point of his Lions career and Swinton within touching distance at 22-16.

But Watson went from hero to villain almost immediately, dropping the kick-off and effectively handing Hornets the momentum. They took immediate advantage, Ryan Millard hoisting a kick to the flank; Swinton defenders flailing and flapping; Gaz Langley quickest to react, gathering the loose ball and stepping inside the full-back to score. Crooky added the two - and at 28-16 Hornets had nine minutes to deny Swinton the bonus point.

The opportunity came four minutes later: good approach play from the Hornets pack and Paul Crook with enough space to land the drop goal to stretch Hornets lead to 13 points.

With the clock tickng down Swinton concded another penalty in possession for leading with the elbow. Crooky added the two from bang in front.

The game ended with a fracas as Paul Crook was caught high with a swinging arm, but he got up off the floor to punt the ball dead and secure the victory that takes Hornets to 9th in the league table - just one point behind Keighley in 7th and one win fewer than Sheffield in fifth!

Ultimately, teams that will stay up in this competition will have to find both a way to win and a way to deny their opponents the bonus point. Both objectives were achieved here - and with Workington at Spotland next week having grabbed four bonus points, a repeat would be very welcome.