Cougars 26, Featherstone 40 - A BRILLIANT opening 10 minutes was the highlight of a brave performance by the Cougars.

They were a team transformed, showing sparkling handling skills, determined running and breathtaking scoring.

It was real training ground stuff as the Cougars raced into a 14-point lead with almost perfect football.

They bagged two tries off their first two sets of six tackles. The forwards set the platforms for first Karl Smith to race over, then Craig Horne collected a Matty Firth crossfield kick to touchdown.

Both tries were converted by Paul Ashton who then added a penalty to make it 14-0.

It was obvious it wasn't going to last. This was a full strength Rovers side against a patched up Cougar squad - anyone fit enough to walk got a shirt - but there was nothing make-shift about that opening performance. Gary Moorby team showed what they are capable of once they cut out the basic mistakes and stupid penalties.

Ultimately the difference between the two sides was probably Fev star Jamie Rooney. He scored a hat-trick of tries and added four conversions making a personal tally of 20 points.

He bagged his first two tries before the break, his second an 80 metre dash after james Rushforth and Firth collided on the Rovers 20 metre line.

Former Cougar Danny Seal grabbed Rovers first in the 14th minute. He was followed over by Ricky Helliwell who collected the ball from a Rooney kick which Max Tomlinson failed to collect.

Rooney then bagged his pair to be followed over by Nathan Graham on the stroke of half time.

His try followed some resolute Cougar defending which was marred by four idiotic penalties. A Closer score at the break may have given the Cougars a fighting chance, but their comfortable early lead had been turned into a 24-14 deficit.

If they could have got the next score there might have been a chance, but after two great try-saving tackles from Tomlinson, Rovers finally got the breakthrough. A blatant forward pass putting Graham over for his second in the 56th minute.

Five minutes later Steve Dooler crossed out wide to make it 34-14 and even the slightest chance of a fight back had evaporated.

But Moorby's side showed they hadn't lost any fighting spirit. Matt Firth got a thoroughly deserved try when his grubber kick was spilled by Graham.Rooney grabbed his hat-trick three minutes from time, ghosting through a tired Cougars defence.

But the try of the game came in the dying seconds.

James Rushforth raced 8- metres out defence and drew the defence before sending Simeon Hoyle racing clear. Ashton's fifth goal completed the scoring.

The young squad is starting to look - and play - like a team with ambition and in the second half of the league season they could really start to spring some surprises.