RUGBY LEAGUE: Widnes free fall to lowest division

ROUND-UP

Widnes completed their decline from being one of the leading sides of the 1980s when their demotion from the First Division was confirmed yesterday.

Needing an unlikely away win by an improbable margin at second-placed Huddersfield, they started brightly with two swift tries, but the home side ran out comfortable 58-18 winners, crossing for 10 tries.

Another club who have fallen from the heights of the game is Workington. Yesterday the bottom-placed club had their decline underlined when they were roundly beaten 66-0 by Hull.

Whitehaven ran in nine tries in a convincing 48-8 battering of Dewsbury, while Wakefield Trinity eased past Swinton 29-10 despite the absence of a recognised goalkicker.

Hunslet, who narrowly missed out on promotion last season, were able to celebrate the Second Division championship after overwhelming York 62-6. The full-back, St John Ellis, collected 26 points with nine goals and two tries, and there were two tries each for the New Zealanders Lafaele Filipo and Latham Tawhai.

Rochdale Hornets, who led the division for much of the campaign, are the second promoted side, though they missed winning the title after defeat at Batley. David Turpin recorded four tries and Richard Price landed six goals from as many attempts.

Elsewhere, Carlisle's wingers Darryl Menzies and Gary Ruddy scored a club-record five tries each in the 72-10 trouncing of Prescot. Ruddy's efforts took his season's tally to 27 tries.