FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS FOR NEWCASTLE THUNDER

Thunder's Betfred Championship season continues away to Sheffield Eagles on April 22

Its action under the Friday Night Lights for Newcastle Thunder this weekend, as they take on Sheffield Eagles in round nine of the Betfred Championship. (April 22, KO 19:45)

Thunder head to Featherstone Rover’s Millennium Stadium for the clash with Mark Aston’s side with the Eagles home ground, the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, having encountering construction delays that has postponed its opening.

Newcastle will be aiming to deliver a response after a disappointing evening away to York City Knights on Easter Saturday, falling to a 38-6 loss at the LNER Community Stadium in round eight.

The Eagles currently sit sixth in the Betfred Championship table in congested mid-pack that sees Sheffield tied with Halifax, Widnes, Bradford and Thunder, with all five clubs’ level on eight points a-piece.

Meeting just once in 2021 due to the amended season structure, Thunder took their first Betfred Championship win since 2009 in their last clash with the Eagles at Kingston Park almost exactly a year ago.

Trailing 6-12 at the break, Thunder levelled with an early score from Cole Oakley, before assuming the lead with an hour played after a trademark carry from Jay Chapelhow allowed him to break the line and score.

They Eagles got to within two points with five minutes remaining thanks to Jack Render, but Eamon O’ Carroll’s men made sure of the win with two minutes remaining, thanks to the arching reach of Ukuma Ta’ai.

Playing seven games to date this season after their round four clash with Batley Bulldogs was postponed, Sheffield have taken some eye-catching wins during the early part of the campaign.

On the road for their opening six games of the season, an opening day loss to Barrow was followed by a comfortable 14-28 win over Bradford Bulls.

A narrow defeat at the hands of Dewsbury came in round three, before a pair of high-scoring wins over Workington (4 – 54) and Whitehaven (6-44) got the season back on track for the South Yorkshire-men.

They were unable to resist the Featherstone juggernaut in round seven, but did manage to post three tries against the league leaders, before hitting back with a ruthless second half against London Broncos last weekend.

Having led by only two points at the break in a low scoring first 40, a hat-trick of tries from Anthony Thackery, a second from former Thunder-man Quentin Laulu-Togagae and four goals from the boot of Izaac Farrell saw the Eagles home.

Thunder will name their extended squad for Friday’s encounter on Wednesday.