INJURIES cost Centurions dearly on Saturday as a well-drilled Sheffield Hallam Eagles side ran riot at Toumlin Drive, winning 62-0.

The Eagles formed this year with players from Sheffield Hallam University, up-and-coming youngsters of professional rugby league side Sheffield Eagles and players from well established winter rugby league sides in Yorkshire.

Cents’ coach Andy Champ knew he would have a game on his hands by mid week when several first team players failed fitness tests with injuries received in last week’s game at Nottingham.

He was forced to “blood” several new players in the squad, several of whom had not played this season, and also play some in unfamiliar positions to cover the gaps.

Team manager Tony Bottomley said after the game: “Rugby league is a very physical game. You get injuries all season and can only play the players you have left. I only hope we get a few more first team players back for next week.

“[But] this was an eye opener for the Cents. Sheffield are a well drilled side, containing some of the best players in this league. We knew that putting a weakened side out would be taking a risk but it was just one of those days. Sheffield didn’t seem to put a foot wrong, and we stood back and let them run at us.

“I’d like to think that if we put a full strength side out against them it would have been a better game.”

It was a game Cents will hope to learn from and move on as quickly as possible. Sheffield score in the first 90 seconds and continue to cross the line on the way to a 42-0 half-time lead.

The second half was not much better for Centurions as Eagles shrugged off tacklers to ramp up the score to 62-0.

The Centurions travel to the Midlands next Saturday to take on the Leicester Storm.