Sheffield Eagles' poor run continues with thrashing at hands of Halifax Panthers

Mark Aston’s side shipped nine tries in West Yorkshire on Sunday afternoon and had prop Scott Wheeldon sent off in the second half for a late shoulder charge to compound their misery.

The result leaves them without a win in six, having last tasted victory way back in round two against York City Knights.

Halifax took just ten minutes to carve open the visitors’ defence and added three more scores before Sheffield reduced the deficit with their first spell of attacking pressure in a one-sided opening 40 minutes.

A pass from hooker James Davey found Blake Broadbent who went over the line shortly before the half-time hooter. Izaac Farrell added the extras to make it 20-6 at the break.

Influential second row Brad Knowles was taken to hospital with a head injury after the first half to make Sheffield’s chances of mounting a comeback even harder.

And things went from bad to worse after the break as Halifax ran in a further five tries.

A converted score for winger Ryan Millar on his one-hundredth appearance for the club - having progressed through the now-defunct academy and made his senior debut in 2015 – was all Sheffield had to show for their second-half efforts.

The afternoon was further soured for the Eagles with ten to play when Wheeldon hit Kevin Larroyer late in a moment of ill-discipline, which resulted in his team finishing the game with 12 men.

Sheffield are now tenth in the RFL Championship with two wins from eight rounds. They take on Oldham in thirteenth next Sunday.