Ken Sio bagged himself a pair of tries in Hull Kingston Rovers' 22-20 comeback victory over Wigan Warriors but it was Sio's fellow Australian Terry Campese who proved the difference, according to coach Chris Chester.
Campese was playing in front of his uncle, legendary Wallaby rugby union star David Campese, for the first time and produced a performance the 101-cap winger would have been proud of.
Sio opened the scoring before a quartet of tries from Wigan gave last year's Super League runners-up a seemingly unassailable 20-6 lead.
However, former Parramatta Eel, Sio, touched down for his second, Mitch Allgood and Kieran Dixon also crossed the whitewash and Josh Mantellato held his nerve to nail the winning conversion.
It was Hull KR's maiden win of the Super League season, and their first over Wigan for six years, leaving coach Chester delighted to finally get the campaign up and running.
"There is a lot of relief," Chester said. "We've been questioned after the first couple of games but one thing you can't question is our team spirit.
"I thought Terry [Campese] led the team really well. I spoke to him after the Wakefield game and told him to lead the line more.
"At 20-6, I was still very positive. I felt we were still in with a chance and, once we got that try, it had a snowball effect. I thought we were dominant in the second half.
"We are still a long way off but there's something to work on."
Elsewhere, Salford Red Devils head coach Iestyn Harris says former St. George Illawarra Dragon Rangi Chase showed his world-class credentials as the half-back inspired Salford to a 32-28 win over Hull FC.
In front of watching Australia national coach Tim Sheens, who will work alongside Harris for the next three weeks in an advisory capacity, Chase set up two tries for Josh Griffin and further scores for Niall Evalds (2) and Junior Sa'u.
The dazzling nature of the 28-year-old's performance led Hull coach Lee Radford to admit that 'there aren't enough hours in the day to practise defending against Rangi Chase' while Harris was even more effusive in his praise.
"Rangi was superb and when he's in that sort of form he's world class," said the Welshman. "He created opportunities for himself and others round him to make the opponents nervous.
"It doesn't surprise me because I see him do it every day at training. He can win games and he did exactly that tonight. He has a great work ethic and stopped a couple of tries as well."
Meanwhile, Wakefield Wildcats suffered a 58-16 rout at the hands of Widnes Vikings, leading Wakefield's Australian coach James Webster to admit he was disgusted by his side's display.
Lloyd White ran in four of the Vikings' ten tries as the previously unbeaten Wildcats had no answer to the Wales international's inspired performance.
And Webster acknowledged that his team were simply outclassed.
"That was not the standard of a first-grade rugby league team by a long way," he said.
"We were outfought and outmuscled for 80 minutes and there was only one side playing. We failed to turn up and we got what we deserved."
Source: AFP
