Finals Week 2
Hull KR 16 l. Wigan Warriors 30

2009 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Wigan repel Rovers charge
Sun September 27, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Wigan Warriors are one game away from the Grand Final for the third successive year after maintaining their late-season purple patch with a 30-16 win over Hull KR.

The Warriors held off a spirited second-half fightback from Hull KR to squeeze through their engage Super League preliminary semi-final at Craven Park and complete the line-up for the last four.

Wigan, who have lost to Leeds Rhinos in the final eliminator in each of the last two years, will discover their next hurdle tomorrow when the Rhinos choose their semi-final opponents at a televised press conference at Headingley Carnegie.

With 10 wins from their last 13 matches, Brian Noble's men have once more hit fine form at the right time and Leeds coach Brian McClennan may well want to avoid them on Friday night.

The Warriors played some of their best rugby of the season to open up an 18-0 half-time lead but were forced to sweat over the outcome after Rovers clawed their way back to 18-16 before Martin Gleeson's 64th-minute try enabled them to breathe more easily.

The England centre then added a second in injury time and Pat Richards took his goal tally to five to give his side a flattering margin of victory.

While Rovers came up with an error-strewn first 40 minutes, the Warriors produced an accomplished performance to seize control of the match by the interval thanks to tries from George Carmont, Iafeta Paleaaesina and Richards.

Sloppy Hull KR's fortunes were summed up in the early moments when the normally accurate Michael Dobson fluffed a straightforward penalty attempt.

The visitors, always more assured, were full of energy, with a superb kick-chase game that kept the Robins penned inside their own half for long periods.

After a tense opening, hooker Mark Riddell and full-back Cameron Phelps helped break the deadlock when they combined to get Carmont over in the corner after 15 minutes.

Richards missed the conversion attempt but succeeded with a penalty midway through the half when Rovers captain Mick Vella was punished for holding Phelps down in the tackle.

Stand-off Sam Tomkins was a constant threat for the Warriors but one glorious attacking opportunity was wasted when his older brother Joel ran in front of him to concede a penalty for obstruction.

However, Wigan established a firm grip on the game with two further tries in the final 10 minutes of the half.

Burly prop Paleaaesina proved unstoppable after taking the ball as first receiver from a tap penalty 10 metres out and Richards finished decisively at the corner having taken a pass from skipper Sean O'Loughlin.

Hull KR began their fightback when a long-range break by centre Jake Webster set up the position for stand-off Paul Cooke to get Kris Welham over for a try three minutes into the second half.

Rovers briefly lost full-back Shaun Briscoe with a cut head but they scored their second try in his absence, England winger Peter Fox taking Welham's pass to finish decisively at the corner.

Dobson found his accuracy to land the touchline conversion and Rovers were within two points of the visitors on the hour when substitute Chaz I'Anson took Dobson's pass and stretched out for the line to score his first try of the season.

The comeback was short-lived, however, for Wigan scored their fourth try within three minutes, with Gleeson taking Paul Prescott's pass to force his way over by the posts despite a valiant ball-stealing attempt from Briscoe.


East & North Stand set to sell out for Hull KR v Wigan
Thu September 24, 2009
Source: http://www.hullkr.co.uk

Hull Kingston Rovers can confirm that there are now only a limited amount of East Stand (standing) and North Stand (seated) tickets left for the highly anticipated Semi Final fixture on Saturday 26 Sep (5:30pm) against Wigan.

As ticket sales have been at an all time high for the exciting play-off tie against the Wigan Warriors, Hull Kingston Rovers Operations Manager James Elston commented: "We have been inundated with requests for tickets since the game went on sale on Monday.

"We now only have a limited amount of tickets left in some areas of the Stadium, its great news to be in a position where we will be selling-out in particular stands and I'm sure the atmosphere will be electric at Craven Park this weekend.

"We also have fantastic 3 for 2 money saving offers on a selected range of Hull KR clothing and merchandise online and at the retail stores, as this fixture is a televised game we encourage as many fans as possible to be loud and proud, sporting their club colours this Saturday.

"Before the game we have lots of family entertainment scheduled with inflatable slides, roundabouts, face-painting and a live band, not to mention the workshop that ITV Britain 's Got Talent - 'Strike' will be hosting within the Youth Club in the East Stand.

"The fixture being at home is a huge advantage to the team and the fans will be turning out in their thousands for this clash, we're calling on all fans to purchase their tickets as soon as possible to secure preferred viewing."

Tickets for the last home game of the season are available to purchase from the official retail store 269 Holderness Road and the retail store at Craven Park. You can also purchase tickets via the ticket hotline 0844 2490 105, please note that we are experiencing a large volume of calls at present.

Wed September 23, 2009
• Hull KR play-off tickets smash through 5,000 barrier
  
Mon September 21, 2009
• Rhinos win the opportunity to choose their opponents
  

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