Author: Tj Moon

Brighouse Rangers U12’s 10 v Methley Warriors 26

Match stats:

Tries: 

Joel Thurtle, 

Riley Knapton

Conv:

Jacob Dewhirst

Magic Moment:  

Riley Knapton’s try capping off some wonderful team play

Grafters:              

Sam Lee and Kurt Fisher

Coaches Player: 

Will Young

P.O.M:

Whole team

Rangers travelled to Methely for a rare, mid-season friendly which was designed to keep both teams playing during a lull in fixtures.

Methley presented as a sizable and skilful team and, as they play in the division above, it promised to be a tough day.

Conditions were great underfoot with a firm pitch but the heat of the sun also promised to make this game hard work.

Rangers were confident before kick-off and started confidently at 100mph. After a strong first attack down the middle, fullback, Joel Thurtle broke down the right side and outpaced the Methely defence to score at the right of the posts. Stand-Off, Jacob Dewhirst was unable to convert.

Methley hit back with tries from their big forwards and a punishing centre who gave the Rangers’ right side some real work to do in defence.

The game continued and a Rangers attack in the Methley 20m zone ended with a try for wingman, Riley Knapton. The attack came after quick hands from hooker, Sam Lee, finding Dewhirst who fed scrum-half Daniel Clarke. Dan created a classic 2 v 1, drew the defender and found a pinpoint pass to Knapton who beat 2 defenders to ground the ball. Dewhirst converted.

Following this try, the Rangers’ opposite wingman also burst his way through many defenders to find the line but the referee called a knock-on.

The Rangers’ pack continued to impress and every player worked hard, none more so than prop forward, Kurt Fisher. This was easily Fisher’s best defensive performance so far this season. Debut back-rower, Will Young showed up strong and gave the Methley left-side plenty of problems. Young earned himself Coaches Player for a strong debut performance and his busy, aggressive attacking style will fit perfectly with the Rangers’ style of play.

Christian Williams and Marcus Booth also had strong games in the middle, Williams in particular, was constantly busy and putting himself in the right place at the right time. 

Dexter Alderson led the pack in the absence of Austin Hines and he led from the front with his standard effort of strength and quality. Dex found some valuable offloads which, when he looks for them really enhance his game.

Sam Lee was strong at Hooker for most of the game. Sam looked confident and has really found his resilience in the face of aggressive defenders and made some telling contributions in defence, himself.

When it comes to defence, there’s nobody stronger than Vice-Captain and left-center, Dylan Greenwood. Methley attacked the Rangers’ left side several times but Greenwood was having none of it. Dylan led by example with his bomb-proof, defensive style and this really helped keep the team’s confidence up.

Whilst the result didn’t go our way, the boys gave a really strong account of themselves and with a little more resilience on the bench, particularly in the forwards, the result may have tipped in our favour.

Dewhirst and Clarke, again worked hard to organise and distribute. Dewhirst is now taking the play right to the gain-line and Clarke is standing out as a strong link between the middle and the edges. This was also a strong day for Clarke and probably his busiest game as a handler.

A nice stand-out element of the day was the attendance of new signing Lukan Fortunato who came all the way to Methley to support his new team and carry the water on. Lukan is a powerful prop-forward who gave us major problems when we played against him in the past and following the demise of Birkenshaw Blue Dogs U12’s, we’ve been lucky enough to get him in a Ranger’s kit. We look forward to his debut.

Brighouse Rangers U12s 10 v Elland ARLFCU12s 28

As the sun shone down at Brighouse Sports Club, the pressure was on for both teams as the starting whistle blew.

The first few sets for both teams were met with stiff opposition, with neither team gaining much ground, until a break in the Elland defence allowed the fast-footed Brighouse Fullback Joel to sprint up the pitch on the left-hand side and score Rangers 1st try under the post. This was ably converted by Stand off Jacob.

Elland responded in kind a few minutes later when their no 10 mirrored the Ranger’s try by scoring under the post. Try converted.

The next few sets were played hard from both sides with no real ground gained for either team until Ellands no 10 was able to twist out of a tackle on the right-hand side of the pitch to score in the corner. Try converted.

Brighouse gained a penalty from a forward pass from Ellans but was unable to break the defensive line to score.

Halftime score Brighouse 6 Elland 18

As the 2nd half kicked off Elland showed that they were keen to increase their scoreline with a quick try in opposing right-hand corner but failed to convert.

A couple of sets later with no further ground gained for either side, Brighouse pushed Elland into touch with some great defensive play.

With the ball in hand, Brighouse scored their 2nd try through Dexter with some lovely footwork on the left side to enable him over the line. The conversion proved harder to obtain and with the sun in their eyes, Brighouse’s kick fell just short of the post.

After a Knock on to Elland where Brighouse couldn’t break the defensive hold Elland had on the pitch, Elland scored under the post and converted with ease.

After a further forward pass the ball returned to Brighouse’s hands. Brighouse obtained ed a penalty from a ball steel but was pulled in to touch by a nimble Elland defensive play.

At the final whistle and a game where both teams played with passion, sportsmanship and great skill the game finished in Ellands favour with the score ending Brighouse 10 Elland 28.

Brighouse’s Grafter Award went to Riley for the powerful textbook tackles he showed throughout the game.

The Magic Moment Award went to Dexter for his strong running, nimble feet and drive ensuring a try and the Voaches Award went to Brighouse no 21 who created problems for the Elland defence throughout the game.

Brighouse Rangers 36 vs Castleford Panthers 4

Try Scores,

Andy Esmond (Brighouse Sports Ladies Football Club) x 4

Danny McGrath (Jason Horsley)

Oliver Peterkin (24/7 Blinds)

Adam Hirst (AJ Gastech)

Conversions,

Karl Frankland x 4 (The Prince Albert “Pop Inn”)

Players of the Match,

1st – Matty Bailey (OverU)

2nd – Oliver Peterkin (24/7 Blinds)

3rd –  Jay Mccullogh (ShiftHero)

Another big home crowd watched the Rangers comprehensively beat Castleford Panthers, atoning for an earlier cup defeat this season to the visitors, in the Brighouse sunshine. 

The platform was laid straight from the kickoff, the Ranger’s huge pack showing little sympathy to the visitors after the four tackles the visiters making only 15/20 meters kicking early hoping to relieve the pressure, the Rangers back line beneficiaries of the fast start, Andy Esmond touching down out wide in the retuning set with just over one minute on the clock Rangers went ahead. 

The fast start continued after Karl Frankland broke the line, and left centre Danny McGrath repeated the dose in the 10th minute, slicing through, Esmond scored again, great footwork from halfback Troy Ambler opening up the visitors to put Rangers16-0 up with only 20 minutes played. 

But the Panthers hit back in the 27th minute, a move from the base of a scrum yielding a well-constructed try. 

With the Panthers pressuring Rangers, a high kick was safely dealt with by Frankland at the back, and he was able to find winger Oliver Peterkin on the left edge, who raced 50 yards upfield, a scrambling tackle stopping a try right on the stroke of half time the score remained 20-4 at the break. 

The second half began with both sides fighting to get a foothold in the game, with the Rangers managing to achieve this continued pressure started to show the gaps started to appear in the defensive line, which Esmond was able to exploit for another score. 

Rangers were unlucky not to add another try shortly after when Frankland collected a shrewd Ben Drennan chip kick leaving him two-on-one with the fullback, only to be ruled offside.

The Rangers forwards continued to dominate, twins Ronnie and Matty Bailey, Jordan Sild, Charlie Walker, Jay McCulloch and George Bannister proving to be a real handful for the visitors in the middle, with Nicky Barraclough off the bench adding his experience to the mix. 

Will Clerehugh, Ambler, Drennan and Callum Sutcliffe were marshalling the big middles well, the frustrated visitors allowing a bit of indiscipline to creep in, and inevitably they were reduced to 12. 

Ball handling loose forward Adam Hirst took advantage, with a magical show and go close to the line catching out the Panther’s defence, and minutes later, Peterkin crashed over in the corner to extend Ranger’s lead even further. 

Panthers kept battling away though, Liam Jelfs proving his safety under the high ball, defusing a tricky bomb, but with the clock ticking down, Esmond scored again, hacking through and collecting to score under the posts after a handling error by the visitors, Frankland converting to make the final score 38-4.

Brighouse Rangers 18 Vs Moldgreen 18

Try Scores,

Danny McGrath (Available for sponsor)

Lucas Burts x 2 (Jeffery Greenwood)

Conversions,

Karl Frankland x 3 (The Prince Albert “Pop Inn”)

Players of the Match,

1st – Karl Frankland (The Prince Albert “Pop Inn”)

2nd – Cameron Bailey (LR Plubtech) 

3rd – Matty Bailey (OverU) 

Rangers were relieved to come away with a point in a match played in front of a huge crowd on Saturday, Boosted by the ex-players event being held at the club giving the first home fixture a special atmosphere, Rangers left matters late in the game to bring things level. The first 20 minutes were all Rangers, with incessant pressure and a couple of spurned chances keeping things all square, but Rangers broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, ex-Bulls and Hunslet winger Danny McGrath carving open the Moldgreen defence from deep in his own half, and leaving defenders grabbing fresh air in a race to the line for a try of the highest quality, converted by Karl Frankland to put Rangers 6-0 up. 

Moldgreen battled back, a big experienced and battle-hardened pack mixing things up in the middle. Inevitably, tempers frayed, both sides were reduced to twelve in the first half, and Moldgreen converted a penalty on the stroke of halftime to make it 6-2 to Rangers at the break.

Moldgreen looked the much brighter side for most of the 2nd half, pressing the Rangers line, a brilliant last-ditch tackle by Lucas Birts (Jeffery Greenwood) preventing a score out wide, and resolute defence by the big men in the middle keeping a Moldgreen player on his back as he crossed the line. Moldgreen got the try they deserved soon after, Rangers at this stage reduced to eleven on the field, a superbly judged cross-field kick was regathered by an unchallenged winger for a try, and they added more points soon after with another try to lead 12-6. 

That lead was increased further, a big burley forward allowed to run across the Brighouse defensive line and barge his way over, and at 18-6 down, Rangers were up against it with twenty minutes remaining. 

The home side showed great character to comeback though, now back to the correct thirteen on-field players, Rangers started to reassert themselves. 

Troy Ambler (Richard Hamer) was unlucky to have a try chalked off, grounding the ball after the Moldgreen defender spilt Ambler’s shrewd kick through, the ref adjudging a collision off the ball to be an obstruction, and the combination of Rangers not quite firing and stubborn Moldgreen defence looked as though it might have been enough to see them home. 

With the clock ticking down, Rangers started to give the ball some air, and with four minutes remaining, fullback Birts crossed out wide after a smooth passing move gave him just enough space to squeeze in at the right corner, Frankland kicking the goal from out wide to make it 12-18. With time quickly dwindling, Rangers repeated the dose, again quick hands opening up the Moldgreen defence for Birts to slice through once again out wide, the touchline conversion from Frankland just creeping over the bar, for one the most dramatic finishes to a game, Rangers snatching the draw that had seemed impossible just a few minutes earlier.

The full game is available to watch on YouTube, Channel – Brighouse Rangers ARLF, Like and Subscribe so you don’t miss any future videos.

Greetland All Rounders u12’s v Brighouse Rangers u12’s 

20.04.24 match report

Brighouse Rangers u12s travelled to Greetland All Rounders for what turned out to be a tough-fought match.

Within the first 8 minutes after a couple of sets each way, Brighouse got the upper hand and after some good tackling from Greetland the ball was taken from just behind the halfway line and powerful running got the ball around a strong defensive opposition line to score Brighouse’s first try which remained unconverted. 

Greetland retaliated with two quick tries with only one being converted.

Half time concluded with Greetland in front 12 to 4.

With the sun shining and a nice strong breeze rippling the top of the hill, Greetland kicked off and a strong chase by Brighouse ensured their possession of the ball. Brighouse drove the ball forward but were just held short of the line after the 5th tackle.

Greetland came back with strong legs and drove the ball towards the Brighouse line to score their third try. Converted.

This spurred Brighouse into action and the ball passed down the line to their very own heat-seeking missile, Joel who scored Brighouse’s second try, which was easily converted by Jacob.

After more sets of 6 where neither team managed to gain any ground some superb passing and great footwork got Brighouse to the line only to be denied a try due to the ball being held up by a whisper.