All of the Super League clubs would have been looking for Featherstone Rovers in the draw for the quarter finals of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup. The Rhinos were the lucky recipients with a home tie against the only remaining Championship side and were massive favourites with the bookies.
Coach McDermott rang the changes, resting a number of first teamers after a testing and intensive period of Super League. Many Rhinos supporters were interested to take a look at Cory Aston, the Rhinos half-back on a season long loan to Rovers.
All pre-match indications were that it would be the Rhinos joining Salford Red Devils in the hat for the semi-finals draw, the perfect conditions for a cup shock.
The Rhinos opened the scoring on three minutes when Stevie Ward took a Matt Parcell pass to pull three defenders under the sticks and ground. Liam Sutcliffe added the extras for 6-0.
On twelve the Rhinos rode their luck to get the second when John Davies dropped a Danny McGuire high kick in Rovers in-goal area only for Brett Ferres to ground under the sticks. Sutcliffe was again accurate with the boot for 12-0.
On fourteen Joel Moon took a Ferres offload, dummies the pass and then stepped to dive on the line to score. Sutcliffe again added the conversion and the Rhinos were looking rampant.
Featherstone managed to retain some possession and held back the Rhinos tide going close themselves on twenty-five when Cory Aston passed to Davies who knocked-on with the try line begging.
Featherstone did brilliantly to keep the Rhinos out for twenty-five minutes when Ash Handley took a Ryan Hall pass on the overlap to cross in the corner. Sutcliffe failed to add the conversion but the Rhinos took a 22-0 lead into the break.
James Lockwood was sin-binned on forty-seven for dangerous contact, making Featherstone’s task even harder. Four minutes later and Carl Ablett found a big gap to take a Danny McGuire pass and canter twenty metres to score. Sutcliffe was accurate with the boot for 28-0.
On fifty-five Sutcliffe crossed for the Rhinos sixth try of the night and he added the conversion himself. Within two minutes Ash Handley went down the left wing off a Hall pass to go forty metres to score. Sutcliffe added the goal for 40-0 as Rovers started to buckle.
On sixty-one Brad Singleton crashed over after taking a Cuthbertson pass to score under the sticks. Sutcliffe added the simple goal for seven in eight attempts.
Four minutes later Singleton got his second of the night, this time off a short Joel Moon pass, and again Sutcliffe kicked the conversion and the Rhinos were through the fifty at 52-0.
Ten minutes from time and Hall caught a Sutcliffe high kick to step over the line to score. Sutcliffe kicked his ninth goal of the night.
Josh Hardcastle appeared to have got a consolation try on seventy-five when he found his way over the line from five metres but the video referee harshly ruled it out for a knock-on.
The outcome of this game was never in any doubt and it was a professional performance from an under strength Rhinos side who managed to keep the visitors pointless. The Rhinos are into the semi-final draw and join Salford, along with the winners of the weekends games. It was job done for McDermotts men and the end of Featherstone Cup dream for another season as they lost 58-0.
Rhinos: Sutcliffe (T, 9G), Briscoe, Watkins, Hall (T), Handley (2T), McGuire, Moon (T), Galloway, Parcell, Singleton (2T), Ablett (T), Ward (T), Ferres (T). Subs: Walker, Mullally, Garbutt, Cuthbertson.
Rovers: Hardman, Tualapapa, Hardcastle, Walton, Johnson, Briggs, Aston, Moore, Wildie, Cooper, Knowles, Davies, Tagg. Subs: Carlile, Griffin, Mariano, Lockwood (SB).
Referee: Chris Kendall.
Half-Time: 22-0.
Full-Time: 58-0.
Attendance:.
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