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There was a clean sweep of Super League sides through as all six in action on Saturday progressed to the fourth round of the Challenge Cup.
Last year’s runners-up Warrington Wolves won 44-4 at League 1 Whitehaven while Catalans Dragons claimed a hard-fought 14-0 success at Championship side Halifax Panthers.
Wakefield Trinity beat League 1 newcomers Goole Vikings 82-0, while Leeds Rhinos, St Helens and Hull FC all beat amateur opponents.
Leeds defeated West Warriors 92-0, Saints won 38-0 at West Hull while Hull FC were 52-6 winners at York Acorn.
Catalans battle but romp for Rhinos
Catalans were involved in the hardest game as they were pushed all the way by Halifax at The Shay.
There were no points in the first half and it was a penalty goal from Arthur Mourgue that put them ahead.
Fouad Yaha grabbed the opening try in the 64th minute but it was not until the 78th minute that Cesar Rouge’s score sealed a hard-fought win for the French side.
As the French side toiled, Leeds were the biggest winners of the day as they ran in 16 tries against Wests Warriors.
The match with the London-based amateurs was switched to AMT Headingley and it was one-way traffic.
Ryan Hall grabbed a hat-trick on his second Rhinos debut following his move from Hull KR, which was matched by Sam Lisone.
Jack Sinfield, son of rugby league great Kevin, and Morgan Gannon crossed twice each while there were further tries from Riley Lumb, Jake Connor, Cameron Smith, Matt Frawley, Alfie Edgell and Tom Holroyd.
Wolves and Saints make comfortable progress
Warrington emerged victorious from their trip to Cumbria as they began their bid to go one better in the competition than 2024 when they lost to Wigan Warriors at Wembley.
Hooker Danny Walker, with two tries, and one each from new half-back Oli Leyland and Jake Thewlis had them 22-0 up at the break.
Leyland and Thewlis added further tries after half-time with two more from wing Cai Taylor-Wray. Jay Weatherill scored a consolation try for Whitehaven.
In a game played at Sewell Group Craven Park, home of Hull KR, St Helens scored seven unanswered tries in beating West Hull.
Two from Jon Bennison, plus tries from George Whitby, Harry Robertson and Matt Whitley had things sewn up by the break.
Saints eased up in the second half against the amateurs, with only a debut try from new stand-off Tristan Sailor and one from Lewis Murphy.
SWPixHull and Wakefield score combined 24 tries
Hull FC got off to a winning start in their first competitive outing under new Australian head coach John Cartwright.
Playing in Featherstone, Clayton Shephardson’s try briefly had York Acorn level at 6-6 as he cancelled out Lewis Martin’s first score before the Super League side took over.
Debut tries from Cade Cust and John Asiata – a Challenge Cup winner with Leigh Leopards in 2023 – were followed by a score from Denive Balmforth to make it 24-6 at the break.
Martin added two more for his first career hat-trick while Callum Kemp and two from Harvey Barron rounded the afternoon off for Hull.
Wakefield Trinity are preparing for their Super League return after a year in the Championship and they put on a strong show in their final warm-up.
Goole had shocked London Broncos in the previous round but there was never any danger of a repeat as Trinity ran in 15 tries.
Lachlan Walmsley grabbed three, there was a pair apiece from Caleb Hamlin-Uele and Matty Storton, one from Liam Hood, Max Jowitt, Oliver Russell, Jack Croft, Corey Hall and one each from experienced duo Mike McMeeken and Tom Johnstone following their moves from Catalans Dragons.
Seven ties on Sunday
The remaining seven third-round ties take place on Sunday, headlined by Bradford Bulls entertaining Castleford Tigers, in Brian Noble’s first game back as Bulls head coach.
That match is live on the BBC Sport website (13:00 GMT), while Salford Red Devils and Huddersfield Giants are the other Super League sides in action, along with the four matches not involving the top-flight sides.
