Ben Jones-Bishop scored a hat-trick of tries as he helped extend Sheffield Eagles' impressive start to the season with a 32-20 'home' win over Newcastle Thunder.
With their home in Sheffield entering the final stages of its construction, the game was played at Featherstone's Millennium Stadium and Sheffield still don't look weary from a season spent on the road so far as they racked up their fifth win of the campaign.
The Eagles have the league's third-best attack as it stands but it was Newcastle who broke the deadlock as Isaac Nokes crossed for an unconverted try on seven minutes.
But the Eagles were in ruthless mood thereafter and eventually led 30-4 at half time.
The first-half rout started as Vila Halafihi scored on nine minutes, Izaac Farrell converting, before 24 points followed in the space of 16 minutes.
Jones-Bishop kicked things off on 21 minutes, going in again after 32 minutes. Then Joel Farrell went over after 34, ahead of a score for Anthony Thackeray on 37 minutes.
Izaac Farrell added three more goals and the Eagles were 26 points up going into the interval.
Newcastle did launch a comeback in the second half ad Gideon Boafo and Lewis Peachey scored in quick succession before the hour mark, Jake Shorrocks goaling for 30-14.
Then Alex Sutton set up a tense final ten minutes with a try, converted by Shorrocks, to leave Newcastle facing a 30-20 deficit with eight minutes to play.
But Ben Jones-Bishop would ultimately have the final say as he completed his hat-trick on 78 minutes to all-but end the contest at 34-20, which is how it stayed when the final whistle blew.
Sheffield Eagles: Quentin Laulu-Togagae; Ben Jones-Bishop, Kris Welham, Ryan Johnson, Jason Bass; Izaac Farrell, Anthony Thackeray; Mikey Wood, Vila Halafihi, Tyler Dickinson; Ross Oakes, Joel Farrell; Evan Hodgson.
Interchanges: Brandon Douglas, Blake Broadbent, Kadeem Williams, Tom Holmes.
Newcastle Thunder: Jack Johnson; Umyla Hanley, Isaac Nokes, Alex Sutton, Gideon Boafo; Jake Shorrocks, Dan Coates; Ted Chapelhow, Josh Eaves, Mitch Clark; Brad Day, Bradley Gallagher; Connor Bailey.
Interchanges: Nathan Wilde, Matt Nicholson, Lewis Peachey, Nathan Clemmitt.
