Doncaster RLFC come on strong to defeat Rochdale Hornets

The Dons found themselves trailing a Rochdale side, again boosted by several loan players from Championship clubs, 16-6 at the interval and looked to be in danger of losing their unbeaten home record.

They had failed to deal with Rochdale’s kicking game and their sloppiness with the ball meant that they had posed few problems for their defence

But all that changed after the break as they outscored the Lancashire side 36-4 with skipper Sam Smeaton again notching a hat-trick of tries.

The first of Smeaton’s tries, set-up by stand-off Ben Johnston as were several others after the break, was one of the few first half highlights for home fans.

That closed the gap to 10-6 but they failed to build any momentum on the back of it and conceded a third try on 38 minutes when winger Daniel Nixon touched down in the corner following some snappy handling close to the line.

Ben O’Keefe failed to add the extras but he was on target in injury-time after winger Misi Taulapapa, making his 350th career appearance, was adjudged to have used his elbow when running strongly out of defence.

New loan signing Josh Guzdek, who recovered from a shaky start, capitalised on good work by Johnston in the Rochdale 20 to touch down for a second converted try to close the gap to just four points within a couple of minute of the restart.

They continued to take the game to Hornets, as they belatedly started to find the form which has taken them to second in the table, with Robinson kicking them into the lead for the first time on 49 minutes after Johnston had touched down from Matt James’ offload five metres out.

The one-way traffic continued with Smeaton running on to a short ball by Johnson to claim his second try of the game and with Robinson again adding the extras the Dons led 24-16 after 54 minutes.

Hornets capitalised on their first spell of pressure since the break to score another try from a kick three minutes later.

The impressive James put the Dons on the front foot again when burrowing his way over from close range to give his side a ten-point lead at the start of the last quarter.

Robinson hammered another nail into Hornets’ coffin when dummying his way over prior to adding a sixth conversion.

There were chances at both ends in the last five minutes before Smeaton scored Doncaster’s seventh of the day – Taulapapa adding the extras.

Dons: Guzdek, Halliday, Hay, Tali, Taulapapa, Johnston, Robinson, Cooper, Burns, Foster, Smeaton, Ferres, McConnell. Subs: Roberts, James, Kenga, Whitmore.