Challenge Cup sixth-round review, results, scorers & reports

Challenge Cup: Sixth-Round Results (May 11-14)

Click on each scoreline for a full report & reaction

Thursday May 11

Featherstone 24-12 Halifax, LD Nutrition Stadium

Friday May 12

Dewsbury 6-54 Wakefield, Tetley's Stadium
Hull 62-0 Catalans, KCOM Stadium
Salford 24-14 Hull KR, AJ Bell Stadium

Saturday May 13

Castleford 53-10 St Helens, Mend-A-Hose Jungle

Sunday May 14

Leeds 72-10 Barrow, Headingley
Swinton 12-42 Wigan, Heywood Road
Warrington 34-20 Widnes, Halliwell Jones Stadium

Quarter-final draw

Warrington v Wigan
Leeds v Featherstone
Salford v Wakefield
Hull v Castleford
Ties to be played on the weekend of June 17-18

Challenge Cup review

Wigan ran in eight tries as they overpowered Championship side Swinton on Sunday to book a Ladbrokes Challenge Cup quarter-final date with Warrington.

The Warriors led 18-0 at half-time thanks to tries from Joel Tomkins, Liam Farrell, Joe Burgess and Liam Marshall, but the Lions were far from embarrassed in the opening 40 and could have been in this game had Mike Butt been awarded two tries in the corner.

The hosts deservedly got on the scoresheet just after the break through Grant Gore, but that failed to slow down the visitors as Burgess grabbed his second and Tom Davies, Josh Ganson and Nick Gregson all went over.

Kevin Brown knocked his old club out of the Challenge Cup with a virtuoso performance in Warrington's gripping 34-20 sixth-round win over Widnes.

The England stand-off was roundly booed by the Vikings fans still angry over his decision to leave them in the close season for their arch-rivals but he had the last laugh with a sensational hat-trick of tries.

The Wolves needed all the craft and experience of the former Wigan and Huddersfield captain to help them see off a gritty Widnes team that made light of a crippling injury list to push them all the way in an absorbing tie at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

The Vikings, without 12 senior players, twice held the lead and were level at 20-20 after 63 minutes but Brown broke their resistance with his third try before Matty Russell and Chris Hill added further efforts in the last eight minutes to give their side a flattering margin of victory.

Joel Moon grabbed a first-half hat-trick as Leeds eased into the quarter-finals with a 72-10 win over competition minnows Barrow.

The Betfred Super League giants virtually assured their place in the last eight draw with four tries in the opening 17 minutes and went on to score 13 against their Kingstone Press League One opponents.

Moon's treble was supplemented by tries from Matt Parcell, Ash Handley and Ryan Hall before half-time, while Barrow's sole and much celebrated first-half reply came through winger Luke Cresswell.

Handley, Stevie Ward, Liam Sutcliffe, Robbie Burrow (two), Parcell and Galloway added further tries after the break, while Sutcliffe added 10 successful conversions.

Jarrad Stack crossed for the Raiders in the second half and Karl Ashall's goal took them into double figures.

On Saturday, Castleford were at their brilliant best as they hammered St Helens 53-10 to book their place in the last eight.

Winger Greg Eden, Super League's leading tryscorer this season, led the spree with a 19-minute hat-trick early in the second half to put the gloss on another breath-taking display from classy Cas in a one-sided sixth-round tie.

St Helens are one of three teams to defeat the Super League leaders this year but that was on home soil and they were unfortunate to come up against a rampant side who have not failed to score under 40 points at the Mend-a-Hose Jungle so far.

The Tigers were simply ruthless against a Saints side for whom it seems the arrival of new coach Justin Holbrook, expected to arrive from Australia in time for Magic Weekend, cannot come soon enough.

On Saturday, Hull began their defence of the Challenge Cup in convincing fashion with a 62-0 rout of a weakened Catalans Dragons side at the KCOM Stadium.

Australian winger Steve Michaels scored a hat-trick of tries as the Black and Whites cruised into the last eight with a 12-try display that would have been even more emphatic but for a rare off-day by goalkicking half-back Marc Sneyd, who succeeded with just two of his seven attempts.

Josh Griffin, Mahe Fonua, Liam Watts and Scott Taylor also crossed in the first half, with Jansin Turgut, Jordan Thompson, Jamie Shaul (2) and Jake Connor adding further tries after the break.

Ben Murdoch-Masila barged over for a decisive late try as Salford averted an upset with a 24-14 victory over Hull KR.

The Tongan's 72nd-minute effort was enough for the Red Devils to book their place in the last eight, but they did not have it all their own way with the Kingstone Press Championship side putting in a sterling effort but ultimately coming up short.

In the first meeting between the sides since the dramatic Million Pound Game last October, Super League Salford trailed 14-6 at the break before springing into action in the second period, fighting off plucky Rovers.

Two Shaun Lunt tries had put Rovers ahead but Ryan Lannon, Craig Kopczak, Kris Brinning all crossed before Murdoch-Masila's clincher.

In the night's other game, Mason Caton-Brown claimed four tries as Wakefield took an expected step into the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a comfortable 54-6 victory at Dewsbury.

The Betfred Super League side, who could share near-neighbours Dewsbury's Tetley's Stadium next season, can take away fond memories of their latest visit after running in four converted and unanswered scores in the first half and another five touchdowns after the interval.

Liam Finn, Wakefield captain in the absence of Danny Kirmond, kicked each of the nine conversions, while Bill Tupou also grabbed a brace of tries. 

On Thursday, Featherstone reached first Challenge Cup quarter-final for 20 years thanks to a 24-12 win over Halifax.

Winger Scott Turner scored a try in each half to bring up a career century and help Rovers, three-times winners of the famous knockout competition, become the first team to secure their place in Sunday's last-eight draw.

Halifax took the lead with a try from second rower Ben Heaton on 17 minutes before their Kingstone Press Championship rivals took control with tries from John Davies and Turner.

Half-back Anthony Thackeray stretched Rovers' lead to 13-6 at half-time with the first of two drop goals - he hit the posts with two other attempts - and Turner's 100th try six minutes into the second half made it 17-6.

Halifax gave themselves hope with a try from full-back Ben Johnston on the hour despite having Shane Grady in the sin-bin for a trip but substitute Josh Hardcastle clinched the victory with Featherstone's fourth try eight minutes from the end and Cory Aston kicked his third goal.