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York Knights sealed their biggest victory of the 2024 Betfred Championship season, thrashing Barrow Raiders 54-12 at the LNER Community Stadium.
York got off to blistering start thanks three tries in the opening quarter, with Joe Brown bagging a double and Sam Cook scoring his first in Knights colours.
Jarrad Stack got Barrow on the scoreboard but that did little to halt York’s momentum as Brad Ward, Connor Bailey and Jack Teanby went over before half-time.
The Knights remained in the hunt for points during the second half as Oli Field crossed the whitewash, Liam Harris registered a brace and Nikau Williams rounded off the 10-try display, with Andrew Bulman’s late score the only Raiders consolation.
York made a dream start, going in front after just six minutes. Stand-in centre Nikau Williams produced a classy inside step and inventive back-of-the-hand pass to send Joe Brown over in the right corner.
Five minutes later, the same combination delivered to double York’s lead. Some smart footwork from Liam Harris down the short-side saw the ball find Brown down the right edge through the hands of Williams.
Midway through the first period, Cook landed the Knights’ third score of the afternoon and the first of his Knights career, with the hooker selling Barrow a dummy on their tryline.
After two misses, Dagger landed his third attempt from the tee, his first of six conversions from 10 attempts.
Barrow quickly hit back when Jarrad Stack dotted down a short kick from Brad Walker, which Ryan Johnston converted, but it proved a minor blip in a dominant first-half showing from the Knights.
Brown’s fellow winger Ward added his name to the scoresheet just before the half-hour mark. After Hingano’s wide pass to makeshift centre Oli Field, the ex-Leeds Rhinos man beat a Barrow defender before releasing Ward to dive in at the left corner.
Two more tries followed in quick succession before the break as Bailey twisted over the whitewash from Harris’ short ball before a bullet pass from Josh Daley got a barraging Teanby over the whitewash.
The only mark on York’s ledger was the late sin-binning of Brown just seconds before the half-time interval for a professional foul.
Even down to 12 men, the Knights picked up from where they left off early in the second half, scoring twice in the space of seven minutes after the restart.
Hingano and Dagger combined for the latter to pick out a sublime short ball which sent Field over down by the left corner.
Barrow threatened the York right flank but Johnston’s loose pass found the hands of Harris who raced away from the Raiders chasers from his own 10, blowing a kiss to the visitors for good measure.
York nudged themselves further ahead through a Dagger penalty goal after the full-back copped a high shot before the hour mark.
Harris doubled his personal tally with another brilliant solo score, stepping away from two defenders before spinning past a third to the right of the sticks.
But the Knights saved their best for the 10th and last try. Harvey Reynolds found a wonderful round-the-back pass to Brown before he combined with Williams down the right edge for the latter to dive in at the corner from.
Barrow did at least find a second and ultimately consolation try in-between those scores, with Andrew Bulman going over for an intercept score from a loose Cook pass. Johnston again converted.
York: Dagger, Brown, Williams, Field, Ward, Harris, Hingano, Fitzsimmons, Cook, Thompson, Gannon, Bailey, Cunningham
Subs (all used): Teanby, Michael, Daley, Reynolds
18th Player: Jubb
Tries: Brown (6’, 11’), Cook (18’), Ward (27’), Bailey (31’), Teanby (35’), Field (43’), Harris (47’, 63’), Williams (75’)
Goals: Dagger (7/11)
Barrow: Cresswell, Bulman, Costello, Broadbent, Douglas, B. Walker, Johnston, Gillam, Wood, Silva, Clarke, Stack, Worthington
Subs (all used): Smith, Makin, Rothwell, Brown
18th Player: Wilkinson
Tries: Stack (22’), Bulman (70’)
Goals: Johnston (2/2)
Sin-bin: Brown (40’)
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