Betfred Championship round-up: Luke Gale hat-trick helps Wakefield Trinity to big win at Doncaster while Featherstone Rovers and Dewsbury Rams suffer home defeats

Dewsbury Rams were also beaten on home soil as high-fliers Widnes Vikings continued their impressive start to the season with a third win out of three.

The Vikings are second to Wakefield only only points different in the Championship table after Daryl Powell’s men beat Doncaster 42-6 in South Yorkshire.

As well as Gale’s tremendous treble, Liam Hood scored two, while there were also tries from Max Jowitt, Josh Griffin and Mason Lino.

Gale opened the scoring after only eight minutes by racing on to his own grubber kick before Hood scored under the posts eight minutes later.

A third try followed moments later when Lachlan Walmsley, the star of Good Friday’s win at Featherstone with a hat-trick of his own, unselfishly played in Jowitt with an inside pass. Jowitt converted his own try to make it 18-0.

A fourth try of the half came right at the end as Griffin went over but the home side got on the board soon after the restart thanks to Connor Robinson, who converted his own try.

Hood made it a double for himself to put any thoughts of a shock Doncaster comeback out of anyone’s minds by powering over from dummy half before Gale got his second with ten minutes left.

There was still time for Lino to go over after Walmsley and Gale combined before the latter completed his treble in the final minute to secure a 42-6 triumph.

Featherstone suffered successive home defeats after being beaten 24-14 by the Bulls.

James Ford’s men were looking for an immediate response to the Good Friday loss against Trinity but found themselves 4-0 down after only eight minutes when Connor Carr crossed after early Bradford pressure.

A second try followed for the visitors through Kieran Gill but after Souter was sent to the sin bin, Fev took advantage with Connor Jones, on his 100th appearance for the club, crossing after great work by Leo Tennison.

And Fev, nine minutes into the second half, were back on level terms at 10-10 thanks to Paul Turner’s first try for the club.

A Jordan Lilley penalty goal edged the Bulls back in front before their lead was extended to six points when Carr dived over for his second of the afternoon.

Lilley then assisted Chester Butler before Lilley converted and added another penalty to put the Bulls out of sight. Jones grabbed his second but it was too little, too late for Rovers.

Dewsbury were unable to build on their impressive Good Friday victory over local rivals Batley Bulldogs as Widnes recorded a comfortable 24-6 win at FLAIR Stadium.

Jordan Johnstone grabbed the afternoon’s first try after 18 minutes after a neat offload before Danny Langtree got a second for the visitors two minutes before the hooter.

Both tries were converted by former Batley player Tom Gilmore.

And any hopes of a delightful Dewsbury comeback were dashed when Matty Fozard made it 16-0 two minutes into the second half.

Fozard was soon celebrating a double as Gilmore’s boot made it 22-0 with 30 minutes remaining.

Jimmy Beckett got the Rams on the scoreboard after darting over from close range but that was all they could muster points-wise, as Gilmore added a penalty late on for a 24-6 victory.

Elsewhere, Halifax Panthers beat Batley Bulldogs 18-6 at a rain-soaked Shay Stadium, Barrow Raiders thrillingly beat York Knights 15-14 and Sheffield Eagles thrashed Whitehaven 42-16 in Cumbria.