Match Report - Midlands Hurricanes 66-4 Newcastle Thunder

A professional performance sees the Canes silence Thunder

Head Coach Mark Dunning made clear that the Canes owed it to themselves to show the ability that has earned them some impressive victories during 2024 and, by full time, it was the Canes who were the clear victors in what the visitors have dubbed the "Purple Rain Derby".

From the outset, the Canes looked in total control but initially lacked that finesse required to convert pressure into points. Just five minutes in Jason Bass almost scored down the right edge but spilled the ball over the line, and two minutes later Jake Sweeting almost broke the line 30 metres out but was unable to keep hold of the ball under pressure. With just over ten minutes gone it looked like Jason Bass had done exceptionally well to catch a high bomb from Hewitt to score, however the referee quietened the home crowd by blowing for an offside in the build-up. Plenty of opportunities but, for now, no points.

Less than 60 seconds later, the Canes finally broke the Thunder defence down as Newcastle failed to make touch from the penalty and the home side took full advantage. With some good hands out left, veteran and fan favourite Liam Welham shimmied and darted his way over the Newcastle try-line to open our account (4-0). Jake Sweeting – usually with a foot like a homing missile – dragged the conversion well wide of the sticks. Undeterred, it took only another five minutes before we doubled our lead as young Todd Horner was the beneficiary of space that opened up down the left edge as he darted through a gap and cut back inside to score left of the sticks (8-0). Sweeting, with what turned out to be one of his last actions of the game before being forced off with an injury, added the extras (10-0).  

The next fifteen minutes saw more sustained pressure by the Canes on the Newcastle line, with Lewis Peachey crashing over under the sticks (only for this to be pulled back for a prior forward pass) and Jason Bass doing his best Danny Barcoe impression to try and score from dummy-half (only to be held up). This was followed by arguably Newcastle's only real threatening set in the first half as Ryan Millar fumbled a high bomb to give Thunder a full set 10 metres out. Notwithstanding that, it was a good recovery tackle from Joeli Varo to prevent the Newcastle winger from scoring in the right corner.

With just under five minutes of the first half left, the Canes showed two examples of the attacking threat that undid Newcastle in March. Half-back Callum McLelland ducked some attempted tackles and barged his way over from short range to extend our lead to 14 points (14-0), with Dave Hewitt reopening his account for the Canes after several weeks out of the side with a conversion from out wide (16-0). Just a minute or so later McLelland turned provider as he broke the line and set up Todd Horner who glided under the sticks for his second (and our fourth) of the afternoon (20-0). Once again Dave Hewitt had no issues adding the extras (22-0) just before the half-time hooter. The boys went into the sheds with a four-score lead and signs that  

Half-time: Midlands Hurricanes 22 – 0 Newcastle Thunder

In the second half in March we scored a point a minute as we turned a 30-16 lead into 70-16 at full time. This time, we went one better.

Four minutes in, Liam Welham turned what looked like a fumbled opportunity into points as he collected a loose pass out wide and danced his way through the Newcastle defence to score his second of the game (26-0). Dave Hewitt had no problems adding the two from the kicking tee (28-0). We then started the second half as we ended the first – with back to back tries – as Liam Welham outdid himself with a bit of individual brilliance as he broke the line and turned the Thunder fullback inside out to score under the sticks and earn himself a hat-trick (32-0). Once again, Hewitt added the extras with an easy conversion (34-0).

We looked like we were close to earning three back-to-back tries, however an attempted Hewitt pass out wide to was intercepted by the Thunder winger and, but for a McLelland tackle 15 metres out, the visitors would undoubtedly have got themselves on the board. Instead, it was the Canes who got to celebrate a try a few minutes later as Sheffield Eagles' Lewis Peachey – a regular in Mark Dunning's squad as part of our dual-registration relationship – collected a short pass and crashed over to score next to the posts (38-0) before giving Hewitt an easy opportunity to convert (40-0). We then went back to back once again as Liam Welham, who fans might have thought had done his bit for the afternoon, took full advantage of another short pass to score down the left edge and make history as the first Hurricanes player to score four tries in a single game (eclipsing a number of Canes players who have scored hat-tricks for the club) (44-0). Hewitt once again converted from out wide (46-0).

As we entered the final quarter of the game it became clear that the Thunder defence was tiring in the Midlands heat and, with our tails well and truly up, we began to apply some real pressure to the Newcastle line. Forward Peachey was the next to score for us as he channelled his inner half-back to crash through the Canes line and sidestepped the Thunder fullback to score under the sticks in a truly impressive effort as we hit a half-century (50-0). Hewitt added the extras from in front of the posts (52-0). Newcastle broke their duck shortly thereafter as we failed to deal with a short kick restart and inadvertently batted the ball into touch 15 metres out from our line, leading to a scrum which the visitors managed to convert into points (52-4). The conversion, however, was just wide of the posts.       

Whilst nilling the visitors would undoubtedly have been Mark's preference, the Canes reaction to conceding was to roll Newcastle for the final ten minutes. Tom Wilkinson, who scored a hat-trick against Newcastle in March, provided a beautiful assist with an audacious offload 10 metres out to Jason Bass, whose momentum luckily dragged him over the line with Newcastle defenders clinging to his legs (56-4). Hewitt was unable to add to his seven conversions on this occasion as a difficult kick out wide just drifted past the sticks. Bass became the third person to score a brace just a minute later as we went back to back once again, using his power to collect a pass and eventually get the ball down with two Newcastle defenders piggybacking on his shoulders in a desperate attempt to halt his momentum (60-4). It was unfortunately another case of close but no cigar for Hewitt as another difficult conversion attempt hit the post and bounced back out. With seconds to go and the game taking its toll on Newcastle, a frantic attempt to strip the ball was knocked forward into Danny Barcoe who took the opportunity to crash over under the sticks for our final try (64-4). With the hooter set to go immediately after the conversion, Hewitt added his eighth conversion of the afternoon to earn us a 62-point margin (66-4).   

A thoroughly professional performance from the Canes as they steadily wore down a stubborn Newcastle defence to earn themselves a convincing win at The Alex in the second forty. With Rochdale making short work of Workington Town at The Crown Oil Arena, we have leapfrogged Town into fifth place as we approach the half-way point of the League One season.  We now turn our attention to our third of four consecutive home games as we welcome North Wales Crusaders to The Alex on Sunday 26 May, and Mark will no doubt be looking for the lads to turn our narrow 20-14 defeat at Stadium CSM in Round 3 into a fifth league win.    

Attendance:

302

Man of the Match:

Liam Welham (sponsored by The Snowden Family)

Scoring sequence:

4-0, 8-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0, 20-0, 22-0, 26-0, 30-0, 32-0, 36-0, 38-0, 42-0, 44-0, 48-0, 50-0, 52-0, 52-4, 56-4, 60-4, 64-4 and 66-4.