Hawks go second in jostle for play-offs

Date published: 11 August 2014


WHILE Oldham RL enjoyed a free weekend, Hunslet Hawks won at Hemel to leapfrog Roughyeds and go second in Kingstone Press Championship One.

Leaders York were pushed all the way by Gateshead before sneaking home 34-30 to go six points clear at the top with two to play.

Hunslet and Oldham each have three to play and are both on 42 points, but the Hawks have a superior for-and-against record.

Crucial to how the top three will finish will be next Sunday’s Hunslet v York clash at the South Leeds Stadium.

Oldham, at home to Hemel (3pm), will be hoping York can beat their Yorkshire rivals for the third time to enhance hopes of a second-place finish for Scott Naylor’s men.

Gateshead, Gloucester and Hemel, in that order, are locked in a similar scrap for the two remaining play-off spots.

Hemel lost ground when beaten 34-16 by Hunslet, while Gateshead picked up a bonus point at York and Gloucester climbed back into fifth spot with a 28-16 win in South Wales.

It means both Oldham and Hemel will have a lot riding on their third meeting of the season at Whitebank next weekend.

Roughyeds owe them one, having been held to a 20-20 draw at Whitebank in March before losing 44-32 at Hemel in June, giving Hemel five league points to Oldham's three.

In the other Championship One clash, Oxford won 31-24 at London Skolars.

Meanwhile, Sam Gee scored three tries in the opening 30 minutes as Oldham RL under-20s beat Keighley Cougars 40-22 at Whitebank.

Report in tomorrow’s Chronicle.