Saturday of Magic Weekend was full of action, with the fans at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium being treated to plenty of entertainment across the afternoon.
The day, and the event, started with York Knights securing a huge win over Huddersfield Giants. A 36-24 scoreline sees Mark Applegarth’s side rise up to 12th in the table, but that could change depending on the Catalans v Toulouse and Leeds v Bradford results.
The second game of the day was the Hull derby, and it would be Hull KR who claimed their eighth derby win. The match hung in the balance after an hour, and with the scores level at 12-12, it took an excellent defensive moment to cause FC to break, with Lewis Martin’s error allowing Jai Whitbread in for an easy try that would prove to be a game-breaker.
Last up on Saturday’s agenda at Everton was Warrington Wolves v Leigh Leopards. The Leopards raced into a 14-0 lead at half-time, before Edwin Ipape and Umyla Hanley scored in the second 40 to keep Leigh two points off the top six.
With all three results confirmed, we have picked out two players from each game who stood out more than most.
Magic Weekend Saturday stand-outsÂ
Cody Hunter (York Knights)
The past two weeks have seen Hunter prove to be the match-winner for York, with him and Paul McShane controlling the game from the halves positions.
The Australian recorded two tries and bagged an assist in the win over Huddersfield, taking his total to five tries and nine assists in 10 matches.
With two clean breaks, four offloads and seven tackle busts, the 24-year-old continues to impress in his maiden Super League season.
David Nofoaluma (York Knights)
From one side of the experience scale to the other, Nofoaluma in top form is such a huge asset for York, and he certainly showed that this afternoon.
Opposite winger Jon Bennison may have crossed twice compared to his once, but his work out of back field and getting the Knights on the front foot were paramount, and went a long way to helping the side control the game.
Jez Litten (Hull KR)
Perhaps the man who should have received the Man of the Match vote, had it not gone to FC’s Jake Arthur, Litten was the man to force the error on Martin, with a great hit on the winger releasing the ball 10 metres from the FC line.
The England international only left the field for around five minutes, with Willie Peters bringing him back on due to the drop in intensity clear to see when he departed the action.
Rhyse Martin (Hull KR)
The retiring Martin put on a vintage display, both from the tee and with ball in hand. His five conversions helped the Robins keep piling on the scoreboard pressure, with his clinical accuracy earning the Robins an extra 10 points.
With ball in hand, he produced some strong runs, and looked a constant threat when in possession anywhere on the field. Running for 106 metres from 17 carries, it was a huge shift from the PNG international.
David Armstrong (Leigh Leopards)
Producing a Player of the Match display, and arguably his best in a Leigh shirt, Armstrong was crucial at the back, before a Tesi Niu injury meant that he had to shift to the wing.
The Australian was in sublime form, and it looks as though he, Adam Cook and Lachlan Lam are beginning to combine well, and it comes at the right time of the season.
Umyla Hanley (Leigh Leopards)
Hanley was another who had his best game of the season, and his second-half try would be the one that sealed any sort of Warrington comeback, though the Wolves’ efforts didn’t show any sign of threatening the Leigh line.
The centre will no doubt be looking for a spot in Brian McDermott’s World Cup squad at the end of the season after missing out of the Ashes squad last year.
