Hull KR were still licking their wounds after their 60-0 whipping at the DW Stadium last weekend. Wakefield had also suffered a drubbing, theirs by a forty point margin, at the hands of St Helens. While Wakefield are almost certainly condemned to the mid-8's, the Robins still have aspirations for the super eights.
Chris Chester welcomed back Campese and Mantellato, much missed last week, and both players would prove to be a shot in the arm for the home side as they steered their side to a big win and piled the misery on the leagues basement club.
The opening exchanges belied the poor form of last week. Both sides showed enterprise in attack, but nerves forced the occasional error, and kept both sides scoreless until the thirteenth minute.
KR grabbed the first points when a Campese kick was caught by Mantellato and passed back to Welham to go over. Mantellato missed the extras, as he did three minutes later when Mantellato crossed in the corner after the Wildcats had been penalised for offside.
On twenty-three it looked like the Wildcats might make a game of it when they took advantage of a penalty for interference and McShane and Hall combined for Arundel to cross. hall kicked the goal from the touch line for 8-6, but it would be Wakefield last score of the game as KR tightened their defence and set about racking up over fifth points.
The Robins would add another two scores before half time. On twenty-seven a Cockayne dummy and pass inside found Kelly in support tomato under the sticks. Mantellato added the two, as he did on thirty-five minutes when a wide looping ball put the winger over for his second of the night.
With a 20-6 half time lead the Robins were in control but just three converted second half scores were not beyond the Wildcats.
The Wildcats defence held firm for ten minutes in the second half before a grubber from Kelly was picked up by Horne to walk past a woeful defence to score. Mantellato made it 26-6.
Then the floodgates opened.
On fifty-four a high kick from Campese saw Dixon do enough in the challenge to make Riley drop the ball backwards for Dixon to pick up and place over the line. On fifty-nine a kick by Kelly bounced nicely for Dixon to collect and step past the last line of defence to cross.
Two tries in two minutes, the first after an Ollett break fed Sio and the second from a Sio break feeding Boudebza. Both players crossed under the sticks and Mantellato kicked both easy goals for 48-6.
With three minutes left nice interplay saw the KR talisman Campese put McCarthy over to break through the fifty barrier and banish the memories of the DW to the darkest depths. Mantellato kicked the extras for a final score of 54-6 and a total demolition of a Wakefield who just now be fearing their trip to Leigh in the Challenge Cup next week.
Hull KR are back into seventh spot and looking far more accomplished with some of their big names back. Broad smiles back in East Hull tonight.
KR: Cockayne, Dixon, Sio, Welham, Mantellato, Campese, Kelly, Walker, Boudebza, Tilse, Larroyer, Horne, McCarthy. Subs: Donaldson, Ollett, Green, Cox.
Wildcats: Miller, Johnstone, Lyne, Arundel, Riley, Hall, Smith T, Scruton, McShane, Kavanagh, Ryan, Washbrook, Smith D. Subs: Godinet, Anderson, Simon, Molloy.
Referee: Joe Cobb
Attendance: 7,378
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