Keighley Cougars 58 - 4 Rochdale Hornets

James Dandy (number 23), one of ten debutants, impressed with his high work rate

Championship new boys Rochdale Hornets were taught a lesson by Keighley Cougars as they were on the wrong end of a 58-4 score line on their first pre-season outing.

Hornets fielded a 24 strong squad featuring six trialists and 10 debutants alongside against a much more settled, well drilled Cougars side that took just five minutes to open the scoring.

Feather burrowed in from close range and then ex Super League player Barnet went in on the Hornets left.

It was a chip on the left hand side that gave Keighley their third, after the ball took various ricochets before fortunately landing in Pursglove's hand for an 18-0 lead.

Hornets gained territory after an initial Davies break. A few plays later Crook fed Davies whose offload to Trumper allowed Benji Lloyd a walk in at the corner for a very well worked try.

As Ian Talbot rotated his squad communication seemed to breakdown and the Cougars turned the screw, with raids down the Hornets left proving fruitful.

The clinical Yorkshire outfit capitalised on numerous penalties gifted to them by a Hornets to cruise into a 36-4 half time lead.

A gift of possession early in the second half indicated it was to be more of the same, as Cougars added to their points tally.

A Danny Davies interception followed by a break and offload by French trialist Julien Lasserre allowed Davies to within inches of the line, only to knock on.

Keighley punished the Hornets by racing away to score again.

The storm seemed to settle as the Hornets boys found familiarity until the final moments when the Cougars added to final tries out wide for a well earned 58-4 victory.

Coach Ian Talbot commented: "Today gave me the opportunity to give the full squad a run out and look at a few new faces but on the whole I am disappointed with the performance.

"We were taught a lesson by a clinical Keighley side who took advantage of every opportunity that we handed to them, and we offered them far too many.

"We always knew it was going to be tough but I really didn't expect our lack of enthusiasm from the outset. We looked unorganised and lacked ideas at times and I now need to work hard to try to put the wrongs right in preparation for the weeks ahead, starting with Leigh on Friday night."

Hornets are in action again on Friday evening, as a similar team featuring trialists takes on Leigh under 20s at Leigh East, Leigh Sports Village, 7.30pm.

Talbot will then finalise his squad before entertaining St Helens and Hunslet Hawks at Spotland on the 2 and 9 February respectively.

Season tickets are still available priced at £145 adults, £125 concessions and £25 juniors, along with membership, player and match sponsorship.