Warrington Wolves star Stefan Ratchford devastatingly squandered the chance to break a world record as the Wolves battered London Broncos in Round Five of the Betfred Super League.
After missing recent fixtures, Ratchford’s inclusion in the side at stand-off for the injured George Williams gifted him the opportunity to break a Super League and World Record for the most consecutive conversions without missing.
In the second half, Ratchford surpassed the record held by Leeds Rhinos star Rhyse Martin Super League and shortly after he was gifted the opportunity to break the world record of 41 consecutive goal kicks.
With a fairly easy effort to break the record, Ratchford shanked the kick dragging it well wide leaving the versatile Warrington Wolves star devastated with his head in his hands.
Terry O’Connor apologised on Sky Sports for “jinxing” the star man with Mark Wilson saying he was “gutted.”
He did respond with a try and ended the game with over 20 points.
Warrington Wolves star joins three others
Credit: Imago Images
Rhyse Martin joined the World Record club, which now included Stefan Ratchford, after a terrific run with Leeds Rhinos in 2022.
His conversion for Aidan Sezer’s winning try in the final game of the regular season against Castleford which secured Leeds’ place in the play-offs saw him equal Mason Lino’s Super League record of consecutive goal kicks without missing with 36.
This equalled what is called the elite level record as well meaning Super League and NRL.
However, Martin was denied the chance of breaking that record over the next two weeks in the play-offs when he was controversially suspended for am high tackle on former Leeds teammate Alex Mellor.
After the Rhinos beat Catalans in week one with Zak Hardaker having a flawless night with the boot, Leeds appealed the frivolous verdict and failed meaning he missed the semi-final against Wigan, a night on which Hardaker again didn’t miss.
Though in the Grand Final against St Helens, Martin broke the record on the stroke of halftime after Kruise Leeming finished off a lovely move to make it 12-6 at the break.
The game got away from the Rhinos in the second half but the second-row got himself a try and converted from outwide to make it 38 goals without missing – a new Super League record.
However, another record still lingered in front of him – the world record held by Liam Finn and Jamie Ellis and accumulated in the Championship.
The duo kicked 41 goals without missing meaning Martin entered the World Cup needing three more goals without a miss to equal the record and four to break it.
In the first of PNG’s first game in the World Cup tonight against Tonga, Martin made it 39 goals in a row when he converted his own try and at the start of the second half as his country made a real battle of it against one of the tournament favourites he made it 40 converting Lachlan Lam’s try.
But then came the big one to level the game at 18-all he had to convert from the touchline to equal then record.
Of course, he kicked it to join a World Record club with 41 goals without a miss.
But this left him going into the game against the Cook Islands needing just one more to break the World Record.
His chance would come tonight with the first try of the game and it was a special one as Rodrick Tai bust through after a 20 metre restart and ran 80 metres to score.
Unfortunately, the conversion went across the front of the posts and he had to accept sharing histroy with Liam Finn and Jamie Ellis. 41 is still the number to beat.
