Hull surge past Halifax

Hull moved to within a point of third-placed St Helens with a 32-16 win over Halifax at the Boulevard yesterday. David Maiden put Hull in the lead and two tries from Deon Bird and six goals from Steve Prescott put them in command, with Richard Horne and Scott Logan also scoring tries.

Huddersfield climbed to within one point of Wakefield with a 35-14 win over Salford at McAlpine Stadium. A brace of tries from Martin Moana, Stanley Gene, Brandon Costin and Martin Gleeson, also scored, with Costin adding seven goals.

Wakefield lost 44-18 in London. Shane Millard and Dennis Moran touched down twice for the Broncos, for whom Paul Sykes kicked eight goals.

England's Academy team wound up their tour Down Under with a 44-22 defeat by Australia at the Sydney Football Stadium yesterday. They lost the first Test 18-12. Their tries came from the Leeds stand-off Danny McGuire, who scored twice in the first half, the Barrow winger Adrian Gardner and the Leeds centre Gareth Morton. Leeds's Rob Burrow kicked three goals.