LIONS DISAPPOINT IN GAME OF TWO HALVES

12 June 2023

SWINTON LIONS 8 HALIFAX PANTHERS 46

IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 11 June 2023

A seven try second half performance from the Panthers ended any chance of a fight back despite a tight first half. Flying winger Lachlan Walmsley ended the game with a four try haul finishing off good work by his attack and scoring one from long range. Ben Tibbs opened the scoring for his side on four minutes finishing off a good move down the left, but Louis Jouffret could not convert. The Lions hit back on twenty minutes when Louis Brogan and Nick Gregson combined to send Josh Eaves in by the posts and Dan Abram converted. Walmsley scored his first five minutes later when the Panthers were awarded two set restarts and he finished off in the left corner with Jouffret off target again. Both sides traded attacks for ten minutes, but good tackles and poor ball handling stopped anyone from scoring until the Lions were awarded a penalty on forty metres for an off the ball tackle and Abram slotted it over to level the scores and as the half time hooter sounded the Panthers were on the attack near the posts, but the hooter sounded at the right time for the Lions.

Adam Tangata put his side back in the lead in the opening minute of the second half when Lions fullback Andy Badrock got an awkward bounce of the ball, and it ran away from him for Tangata to score by the posts with the conversion added by Jouffret. Walmsley then added his second when Tangata strode through a large gap to feed his supporting winger to score on the left but no conversion. Zack McComb was sent to the sinbin on fifty minutes for alleged dangerous contact in the tackle and then the Lions had a good chance down the right when Jake Spedding broke free down the right, but the ball seemed to hit his knee as he was running, and it went to ground. Walmsley scored his third on fifty-eight minutes after a good pass from Tibbs and this was quickly followed two minutes later when Kyle Wood sent out a super pass to Ben Kavanagh and he raced in by the posts. Panthers were now on a roll, and they scored two more tries in another two minute period when Walmsley scored number for racing a full eight metres from a Lions ball handling mistake to score under the posts and then Jouffret broke free to send the supporting James Woodburn-Hall in on the right and three of the last four tries were converted. The Lions tried a short kick off from the fourth try and got close to the line before losing the ball and this put Panthers in a good position to score the final try when Brandon Moore scored to the left of the posts and Jouffret added the simple conversion and in the final minute Panthers prop Dan Fleming was sent to the sin bin for an illegal tackle on Jayden Hatton.

MATCHFACTS

LIONS

22 Andy Badrock

26 Joey Romeo

3 Jake Spedding

32 Wes Bruines

4 Jayden Hatton

1 Dan Abram

7 Jordy Gibson

8 Gav Bennion

14 Josh Eaves

13 Louis Brogan

11 Rhodri Lloyd

10 Kenny Baker

6 Nick Gregson

Subs (all used)

12 Mitch Cox

15 Jordan Case

30 George Roby

34 Lewis Baxter

Try: Eaves (20)

Goals: Abram 2/2

PANTHERS

1 James Woodburn-Hall

5 James Saltonstall

3 Zack McComb

4 Ben Tibbs

2 Lachlan Walmsley

6 Louis Jouffret

14 Kyle Wood

16 Will Calcott

9 Brandon Moore

10 Dan Murray

11 Ben Kavanagh

12 Matty Gee

31 Kevin Larroyer

Subs (all used)

8 Adam Tangata

19 Ryan Lannon

29 Dan Fleming

34 Adam O’Brien

Tries: Tibbs (5), Walmsley (25,46,58,63), Tangata (41), Kavanagh (60), Woodburn-Hall (66), Moore (71).

Goals: Jouffret 5/9

Sinbin: McComb (50) Dangerous Contact; Fleming (79) High Tackle

Penalty count: 10-6

Half-time: 8-8

Referee: Matt Rossleigh

Attendance: 1109

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4,6-4,6-8,8-8,8-14,8-18,8-24,8-30,8-36,8-40,8-46