Honours go to Jordan and Fraser after Hunslet’s `Student War of Words’!
Jordan Bull and Fraser Stroud are as happy as larrikins this week, and Nathan Newbound, Sean Croston, Tyler Walton and Peter Ryan are licking their wounds, after Leeds Beckett won at Northumbria in Student Rugby League’s clash of the giants.
The six players are joined in the common cause after having signed for Hunslet ahead of the 2023 Betfred League 1 campaign, but it’s a different matter on Wednesdays, when they strut their stuff in the Student game’s Premier North.
Jordan and Fraser play for Leeds Beckett, while Nathan, Sean, Tyler and Peter play for Northumbria – and something had to give when the teams, both of whom boasted 100 per cent records, met on Wednesday evening at Kingston Park.
Nathan and Jordan threw down their personal gauntlets in the build-up, temporarily putting their role as Hunslet teammates to one side. But it’s Jordan and Fraser who are smiling right now, confounding Nathan’s claim that they would need luck to prevail. Not that his stance was totally unfounded, Northumbria having won all three meetings in 2021/22, including in the Grand Final.
The home side can perhaps take some solace from the defeat in that they scored the first points against Leeds Beckett this season, but a try and three goals by Will Todd and touchdowns by Evan Lowther and Daniel White weren’t enough to prevent a 32-18 reverse.
Leeds took the spoils through two tries each by James Mulvaney and Harry Medicott, with Solomon Tutin and Will Cohen also dotting down and former Hunslet halfback Jack Mallinson adding five goals.
