Match Report | Sheffield Eagles 50-14 Whitehaven

21/06/2026

Written by Spencer Arnold

The Eagles made it a return to winning ways in the Betfred Championship this afternoon with a convincing 50-14 victory against Whitehaven.

Craig Lingard made several changes to the squad that lost in Barrow last weekend, with Greg Eden coming into fullback, pushing Joe Brown back onto the wing to replace Ryan Millar. After Masi Matongo’s injury last weekend, he was replaced by Blake Broadbent. Jack Bussey and Josh Hodson also made appearances as interchanges as they made their comebacks from injury. 

Whitehaven opened the scoring early with a penalty conversion in the 6th minute, but they did not hold onto the lead for long, after a great dashing run from Connor Bower gave the Eagles the try to go ahead just a handful of minutes later. 

Not long after, the Eagles got another chance in front of the tryline, which Kieran Gill capitalised on after receiving the ball via Alex Foster. 

It was the visitors who scored next, though, with a crash over the line from Brad Brennan to create a close 10-8 scoreline. 

The next 10 minutes consisted of very strong offensive efforts from both sides, but none were troubling enough to go over the line. That was until Billy Walkley stepped up to secure the advantage for the Eagles, and to also achieve his 19th try of this year’s campaign. 

The visitors closed out the half with some repeat sets near the Eagles try line, but they were unable to break through a tight Eagles defence. 

The second half became the Eagles' moment to shine, as in the first 10 minutes, two rapid successive tries stretched the scoreline even further, one being Eden’s debut try on home turf, and the other being a second of the day for Walkley.

Just moments after their last two, the Eagles came back with energy once again, with an overpowering, clattering try from Lewis Peachey. 

The Eagles had hit full throttle by this point, and it did not take long for another addition to their scoreline, with Josh Hodson diving on the ball to score his debut try for the club. 

Joe Brown got the chance to jog it into the corner after a great ball from Reiss Butterworth, and despite the visitors following it up with a try from Ben Pearce, the game was already dead and buried by this point. 

To close out the game, Eden stepped up and got a second try on his debut at the Home of Football stadium, giving the Eagles a rewarding scoreline of 50-14. 

The Eagles’ next fixture will be a clash at home, against Dewsbury Rams on Sunday, the 28th of June (3pm KO). 

Sheffield Eagles: Eden, Brown, Oakes, Gill, Walkley, Morgan, Abdull, Broadbent, Johnson, Reilly, Bower, Foster, Griffin

Interchanges (all used): Hodson, Bussey, Butterworth, Peachey

18th Man: Millar

Tries: Bower (12’), Gill (16’), Walkley (32’, 50’), Eden (47’,77’), Peachey (54’), Hodson (60’), Brown (66’)

Goals: Abdull (2/4), Morgan (5/5)

Whitehaven: Burns, Eccleston, Todd, Bickerdike, Weatherill, Walker, Newbegin, Brown, Holgate, Brennan, Holliday, Pearce, Kellett

Interchanges (all used): Nixon, Pearce, McQuistan, Smith

18th Man: Shackley

Tries: Brennan (21’), Pearce (72’)

Goals: Walker (2/2)

Penalties: Walker (1/1)