The Halifax Panthers had a giant killing on their minds as they took on the side sitting level top of the Super League after the opening five rounds and 2018 Cup winners, the Catalans Dragons at the New Shay.
The bookies and pundits were firmly of the opinion that it would be a big win for the visitors and gave the home side a thirty-point start on the coupon, but this is the famous Challenge Cup and so far in round six there hadn’t been a single surprise, the hopefuls filing into the stadium in the hope that this would be the one.
The Dragons were taking no chances as they fielded a very strong side giving due respect to the Panthers.
The Dragons scored on the last tackle of the first set of the game with fast hands to Tom Davies on the wing to go in on a small overlap after Michael McIlorum switched play to the blind side. Jordan Abdull added the conversion for the perfect start.
On five minutes Davies got his second, this off a Matt Ikuvalu pass, as he again found plenty of space down the wing to cross. Abdull hit a second touchline conversion for 12-0.
It was a fifteen-minute hat-trick for Davies as he scored the most acrobatic of the three with a leap to the corner and a one-handed grounding. Abdull was again on target, all three not the easiest, and the game was already won for the Dragons as the Panthers struggled to get a foot in the door.
A weak tackle on Paul Séguier allowed the second rower to run the angle and ground for the fourth Dragons try of the afternoon on thirty-three minutes. Abdull was again on the mark for 24-0, Halifax a little unlucky to be so far adrift at the interval after some good enterprise in attack.
Two minutes after the restart. The Dragons extended their lead when Arthur Romano navigated his way through the Halifax defence to score from distance. Abdull was short with his conversion attempt, his first miss of the afternoon as the touch judges waved away his kick.
Abdull was the provider as Cesar Rougé went past James Woodburn-Hall to cross for the sixth unanswered Dragons try of the afternoon. Abdull hit the target this time for a 34-0 lead.
It was all one-way traffic when on sixty-six Chris Satae got in on the scoring action and again Abdull was on target to bring up the forty for the visitors.
There was some consolation for their efforts inside the last minute when James Saltonstall was on the end of a nice passing move to cross as he went outside Fouad Yaha to cross. Garteh Widdop was unable to add the extras, Catalans progressing with an easy 40-4 win to progress into the quarter finals concluding a quarter final round with no shocks and no upsets.
Halifax Panthers: Woodburn-Hall, Eden, Tibbs, McComb, Saltonstall (t), Jouffret, Keyes, Fairbank, Inman, Larroyer, Kavanagh, Gee, Davies C. Subs: Davies O, Tangata, Lannon, Widdop. 18th Man: Hursey.
Catalans Dragons: Rougé (T), Davies (3T), Ikuvalu, Laguerre, Yaha, Abdull (6G), Fages, Navarrete, McIlorum, Bousquet, McMeeken, Séguier (T), Garcia. Subs: Romano (T), Da Costa, Satae (T), Dezana. 18th Man: Maria.
Half-Time: 0-24.
Full-Time: 4-40.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 0-16, 0-18, 0-22, 0-24 : HT: 0-28, 0-32, 0-34, 0-38, 0-40 , 4-40 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Catalans.
Referee: Liam Rush.
