Hornets storm into third round with 60-6 win at Waterhead

Monday, 26 January 2026 17:49

By David Murphy

Rochdale Hornets booked their place in the third round of the Betfred Challenge Cup with a dominant 60-6 away victory against Waterhead Warriors.

In front of a packed crowd at Waterhead ARLFC, the Hornets crossed the line 11 times as they overpowered their amateur opponents to secure a home tie with Wigan Warriors next month.

Championship side Rochdale started fast and were two tries ahead within minutes. Dan Nixon opened the scoring in the corner, before Tom Ashton powered through a gap to double the lead. Max Flanagan converted both efforts to make it 12-0.

Waterhead responded with a strong spell of pressure and were rewarded when Niall Dean grounded the ball under heavy traffic. He also added the goal to cut the deficit to six.

But the Hornets quickly reasserted control. Ben Metcalfe found a gap to extend their lead, then a slick move involving TJ Boyd and Ethan Wood set Flanagan free to score. Dylan Kelly-Duffy added a fifth try before the break, capitalising on a yellow card shown to Waterhead’s Gareth Owen for an off-the-ball incident.

Leading 30-6 at half-time, Rochdale showed no signs of slowing down after the restart. Jordan Andrade powered over, followed by Dan Lloyd slicing through from short range. Ashton then completed his brace before Nixon scored his second with a trademark flying finish.

Boyd added two late tries, both from pinpoint Jamie Dallimore kicks, taking Rochdale to the 60-point mark. Flanagan added eight conversions in a standout performance.

The win sets up a high-profile fixture at Crown Oil Arena, where the Hornets will host Wigan Warriors, Challenge Cup holders and 20-time winners, on Sunday 8 February, with kick-off at 3pm.

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