Hull KR star proves difference as Cook Islands beat spirited Wales side as ex-Wigan Warriors man crosses

It was heartbreak for Wales as a superb sub performance from a Hull KR man turned the contest away from them.

There was one last chance at the end but it just wasn’t to be.

Highlights:

Wales get deserved lead
Despite being physically up against it, Wales kept finding ways up the field through some incredibly smart kicks and some lovely breaks and after some close calls from Evans and Williams, a lovely weighted kick from Ralph saw Wales veteran Lloyd pick up and score.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Sharp thinking from Josh Ralph with the grubber for Rhodri Lloyd to collect and open the scoring!#RLWC2021 | #WALCKI | @WalesRugbyL pic.twitter.com/3I3G2FXhHN

— Rugby League World Cup 2021 (@RLWC2021) October 19, 2022

Esan’s masterful break
Esan Marsters, not in his usual centre role but instead starting in the halves in place of Hull KR’s Brad Takairangi, showed Huddersfield fans what he will bring them in 2023 as he darted through and teed up Anthony Gelling for the try.

⚡️ The pace from a standing start!

Esan Marsters breaks through before putting Gelling over for Cook Islands' first score of the night.#RLWC2021 | #WALCKI pic.twitter.com/1osoTt54yb

— Rugby League World Cup 2021 (@RLWC2021) October 19, 2022

Ollie’s old trick
After a lovely break from Mike Butt, it was a simple dummy from Ollie Old who bumped off Dominic Peyroux in the process to go over for a lovely try.

Moale powers over off KR offload
The Cook Islands attack was quite clunky for most of the game but the introduction of Brad Takairangi helped change that. The Hull KR man’s offload helped create the space for Moale to muscle his way over and he would have an even bigger impact on the next try.

Takairangi kicks and Marsters takes
Then a great kick from Brad Takairangi was poached by an airborne Steven Marsters who in one movement landed and grounded the ball. Unfortunately, he slipped as he prepared for his effort at goal leaving just six points between the two.

🙌 A Marsters of finishing…

Steven Marsters can't be stopped and extends Cook Islands' lead further – will that be enough to claim the win?#RLWC2021 | #WALCKI | @BBCSport pic.twitter.com/VScYm5sjnd

— Rugby League World Cup 2021 (@RLWC2021) October 19, 2022

Cook Islands get out of jail free card
At the death the drama still wasn’t over. There was an intercept that gave Wales a great chance to snatch a draw which looked certain when they found an overlap out to the left but as Leigh Centurions’ Caleb Aekins juggled the ball and tried to get it out only for it to hit a Cook Islands’ player in the arm and fall down as the attack too fell down.