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Round eight of Betfred League 1 starts today (Saturday) with two matches taking place.

At the New River Stadium, second-bottom London Skolars host Doncaster while across the border at 5.30pm, North Wales Crusaders welcome Oldham Roughyeds to Colwyn Bay.

Doncaster make the trip to the capital still licking their wounds after a 46-0 home mauling at the hands of the table topping Crusaders last time out.

Victory for Anthony Murray’s men was their seventh on the spin and along with Keighley, they kept a perfect 100 per cent win record intact for 2022.

Ben Moores started the Crusaders’ rout after just five minutes with further first half scores from Patrick Ah Van, Matt Reid. Tommy Johnson and Rob Massam giving the visitors a commanding 28-0 interval lead.

The one-way traffic continued in the second stanza with further tries registered by prolific winger Rob Massam, Chris Barratt, Jack Holmes and Gav Rodden. Johnson kicked eight out of nine attempts from the tee as North Wales kept hold of top spot.

For the Skolars, they delivered a much improved performance at Swinton Lions but still went down 58-14. The Lions had suffered two consecutive defeats prior to entertaining Joe Mbu’s side and they got back to winning ways over a battling capital outfit who lost 96-0 at Keighley in round six.

Max Roberts bagged a fine hat-trick as Lewis Charnock and Ben Heyes both scored twice for the Lions who led 30-6 at the break. Jerome Yates’ try, goaled by Will Ramsay, accounted for London’s points during the opening period.

Swinton made the points safe by scoring another 28 points after the break but London failed to raise the white flag with tries from Aaron Small and Leighton Ball, neither of which were converted, completing the away side’s tally.

Oldham were the team to sit out last week, with Midlands Hurricanes doing likewise for round eight.

The Hurricanes once again demonstrated their surprise package tag for the first half at least as they faced Rochdale Hornets at Spotland last Saturday. 

The first half was tight as a drum with the sides going into the sheds after 40 minutes locked at 18-18. Cobi Green and Cian Tyrer crossed for Rochdale and with Lewis Sheridan knocking over the extras, the hosts led 12-0. 

But Midlands hit back with two tries in eight minutes from Hayden Freeman and Tyler Walton, both goaled by Benn Hardcastle. Dan Nixon snuck Rochdale back in front again with another converted score but Midlands meant it was all square at the break when Hardcastle crossed two minutes before the hooter.

Rochdale raced from the traps in the opening exchanges of the second stanza as tries from Paul Brearley and veteran prop Fuifui Moimoi put Matt Calland’s charges in command.

Back came Midlands though to reduce the arrears to just six points when Liam Welham scored and Hardcastle converted. With 18 minutes left, the game was very much in the balance until two tries in three minutes from Gavin Bennion and Tyrer finally swung the pendulum Rochdale’s way. They capped off a hard-fought win with full-back Gregg McNally’s try in the 77th minute. Sheridan ended the match with six goals from eight attempts.

Rochdale are on the road tomorrow (Sunday) when they travel to second placed Keighley Cougars.

The hosts are yet to drop a point this year and a much-changed side travelled to West Wales Raiders last time out and prevailed 46-4 in a feisty and scrappy affair.

Cougars skipper Jack Miller was the star performer with a hat-trick of scores as Mo Agoro registered twice for Rhys Lovergrove’s troops. James Feather, Nathan Roebuck, Alix Stephenson and Charlie Graham also scored for the Cougars as Miller kicked five goals.

For West Wales, they did manage to breach the Cougars’ rearguard 16 minutes from time when loose forward Callum Mulkeen squeezed his way over.

The Raiders are Cornwall’s opponents tomorrow in a huge battle in the lower echelons of the Betfred League 1 table. Barring an unlikely draw, somebody’s ‘0’ looks set to go with the Choughs coming into this must-win clash after losing 52-16 at Hunslet in round seven.

Tries from Liam Whitton and Harry Aaronson, both converted by Joe Purcell, had Cornwall well in the game as Neil Kelly’s men were 22-12 behind after 40 minutes.

However, the Parksiders, led by braces of tries from full-back Jimmy Watson, winger Wayne Rettie and stand-off Jordan Paga, found another gear to defeat the spirited Choughs and prevail. Cornwall’s solitary points of the second half came from skipper Jamie Prisk who dotted down after 58 minutes. 

For Hunslet, who now occupy the sixth and final play-off spot, they are once again on home soil with Swinton the visitors to the South Leeds Stadium today.