Rochdale Hornets overpowered as Midlands run in at Avery Field

Rochdale suffer heavy defeat on the road

Rochdale Hornets endured a bruising afternoon in the Midlands, going down 42-4 to a clinical Midlands Hurricanes side at Avery Field on Sunday. Former Hornets half-back Lewis Else crossed twice for the hosts, who seized control early and never released their grip.

The Hurricanes struck within the opening exchanges when Else sliced through the defensive line, with Sully Medforth adding the conversion. Rochdale briefly thought they had fashioned an immediate reply as TJ Boyd finished a flowing move in the corner, but the effort was ruled out for a foot in touch. That near miss set the tone: promising moments for the visitors, but not the accuracy to convert pressure into points.

Hurricanes build a decisive early lead

Midlands made their territory count. After sustained build-up, Luis Roberts powered over out wide before Jon Luke Kirby finished a strong carry to extend the advantage. Medforth’s boot stretched the margin to 16-0 and left Rochdale chasing the game.

The Hornets did enjoy a better spell midway through the first half, with Jamie Dallimore’s kicking troubling the home defence and forcing a drop-out. But a handling error inside the Hurricanes’ 20 squandered that platform. The Hurricanes punished it swiftly: Else weaved through again for his second, and Medforth pushed the lead further from the tee. Moments before the interval, Rochdale were reduced to 12 men when Ethan Wood was shown a yellow card for a swinging arm on Else following a melee. Right on half-time, Aidan McGowan exploited the space to add another home try and deepen the deficit.

“Dominant Midlands produced a comprehensive win,” the TotalRL match report noted, as the hosts capitalised on errors and field position.

Second-half pressure tells

The restart brought no respite. Midlands resumed where they had left off, with James Woodburn-Hall slipping through a gap and Medforth converting. Rochdale’s best second-half opening arrived around the hour when George Roby stretched for the line amid heavy traffic but could not control the ball as he attempted to ground it; Zeus Silk was on hand to clear the danger.

Midlands then tightened their hold. Woodburn-Hall claimed his second and Medforth added another conversion, before the stand-off finished a swift team move to notch a try of his own as the match moved into its final stages. The Hornets’ travelling support had little to cheer despite the side’s persistence in defence under lengthy spells without the ball.

Discipline and execution prove costly

The pattern across the eighty was stark: the Hurricanes’ efficiency near the line contrasted with Rochdale’s handling errors and infringements at crucial points. The yellow card on the cusp of half-time added pressure to a defensive line already under strain. With Midlands repeatedly establishing attacking platforms, the Hornets spent long phases defending their own end and paid for repeated retreats with further concessions.

For Rochdale, the defeat underlines familiar themes: the need to tidy up last-tackle options, protect the ball in the red zone and tighten the ruck area to prevent quick play-the-balls that invite line breaks. There were glimpses to build on — notably Dallimore’s kicking game pinning the hosts back and the close-range effort from Roby — but the inability to finish those chances left the visitors chasing shadows.

Key moments at a glance

• Else strikes twice against his former club as Midlands race clear in the first half.
• Disallowed finish for TJ Boyd curtails Rochdale’s early response.
• Yellow card for Ethan Wood late in the first half compounds pressure before the interval.

Rochdale will look to reset after a demanding outing in the Midlands, having been matched for effort but outmanoeuvred in key areas. The scoreboard told a clear story, yet the visitors showed spells of control that, with a sharper edge and greater discipline, could translate into points in the coming weeks.