Mako’s vow to answer criticism
a contract running to the end of the 2018 season with the Bulls, who are battling to avoid relegation from the Kingstone Press Championship.
Hull FC have handed promising winger Nick Rawsthorne a new twoyear contract.
The 21-year-old joined the Challenge Cup holders in the winter from Championship side Halifax on a 12-month deal and made his Super League debut against Leigh in May.
Rawsthorne is currently on loan with Leigh and has also spent time at League One clubs York and Doncaster but remains in the long-term plans of Hull coach Lee Radford. from the sidelines as acting captain Kallum Watkins went over for the all-important try that helped the home side regain the lead.
Holbrook was without leading scorer Mark Percival through suspension and unable to play new signing Ben Barba.
Salford Red Devils v Huddersfield Giants (3pm), Wigan Warriors v Widnes Vikings (3pm)
Dewsbury Rams v Rochdale Hornets, Featherstone Rovers v Batley Bulldogs, Halifax v Bradford Bulls, Hull KR v London Broncos, Oldham v Toulouse, Sheffield Eagles v Swinton (all 3pm)
Toronto Wolfpack v York (1am), Hemel Stags v South Wales (2pm), Oxford v Crusaders (2pm), Whitehaven v Keighley (2pm), Doncaster v Newcastle Thunder (3pm), Hunslet v Coventry (3pm), Workington v London Skolars (3pm) MAKO Vunipola has vowed to prove Warren Gatland wrong and restore the British and Irish Lions’ “wounded” pride in Saturday’s second Test against New Zealand.
Head coach Gatland laid into his Lions after last weekend’s 30-15 first Test defeat to the All Blacks for losing the physical battle.
The tourists’ boss has challenged his squad to “fight fire with fire” to hit back and rebuild their aggressive reputation in the second Test in Wellington on Saturday.
And England prop Vunipola (below) has demanded that the Lions now accept Gatland’s challenge and dominate the All Blacks in the tight game today.
“That has stung massively, as a person and as a player, because we’re all very competitive players,” said Vunipola, of Gatland’s criticism.
“It’s him laying the gauntlet down. So it’s up to us if we take that challenge on or shy away from it.
“I want to get out there and prove him wrong.
“I don’t know if he meant it like that, but that’s how I took it. So I want to prove him wrong.
“We’re going into this game wounded, there’s pride on the line with Gats saying about that physicality bar.
“I know emotionally we’ll be ready. We have to be. And it’s about having that discipline around that too.
“We know they took us on up front and they got the upper hand last weekend, so it’s time for us to put in a better account of ourselves.
“We’re very lucky we have another opportunity, so it’s up to us to take it.
“It’s that emotional energy we have to bring. The task is immense really so it’s about us performing as a forward pack.
“We’ve talked about enjoying that level of intensity and physicality. We’ve got to raise the physicality bar.”