Challenge Cup round-up: Hull KR see off brave Bradford Bulls; Hull FC ease past Sheffield Eagles

Four tries and a total of 30 points from goal-kicking winger Josh Mantellato broke brave Bradford's hearts as Hull KR avoided a potential Challenge Cup banana skin with a 50-30 victory at the Odsal Stadium.

Rovers twice came came from behind, trailing 12-0 in the early stages to the Championship front-runners, before easing clear with five tries in the final 18 minutes.

Amid a pulsating and sometimes controversial cup tie, the hosts ultimately had no answer to Italy international Mantellato, whose last three tries came within the space of seven decisive minutes.

Having forced several errors from the Super League side in the opening exchanges, it took a fired-up Bulls less than six minutes to go ahead as Adam O'Brien barged his way through and under the posts. Ryan Shaw converted on his way to a tally of five goals.

The Bulls struck again when O'Brien and Etu Uaisele put Dale Ferguson over, although Shaw got a fortuitous bounce off the upright in adding the extras this time.

Rovers bounced back, capitalising on an unforced error from Shaw to halve the early deficit when winger Mantellato dived over in the corner then converted his own try.

Rovers lost forward Greg Burke to a clash of heads midway through the half but they levelled when an Albert Kelly cross-field kick was tapped back by Mantellato for Kris Welham to touchdown with Mantellato again stroking over the extras.

A scintillating weaving solo run by Kelly gave the visitors the led for the first time and Mantellato's conversion sent the Robins in at half time with an 18-12 advantage.

A minute before the interval the temperature was cranked up a notch when, out of the blue, Rovers Adam Walker launched a blatant punch at O'Brien and was sin-binned, along with the Bulls Adam Sidlow, who also gained a yellow card after following in with his version of justice.

Less than a minute into the second half the Bulls gave notice that they were not finished when Danny Addy completed a stirring break from Alex Mellor to score and Shaw levelled matters.

The home joy was short-lived as Kieran Dixon broke clear, only to be stopped by a superb tackle from Uaisele, but Graeme Horne then strode through the regrouping defence to edge Rovers in front again.

Sidlow and Addy went close and O'Brien was held up before the home crowd were up in arms again as Kevin Larroyer stole the ball from Addy in what looked to many like a two-man tackle and ran unopposed over 25 metres to score a controversial try.

Still the Bulls were not finished as O'Brien put Lee Gaskell in for his 11th try of the season and Shaw closed the gap to just four points again.

Three minutes later Lucas Walshaw crashed over after innovative work from Paul Clough, Addy and Gaskell and Shaw edged Bradford back in front.

But three tries, all from Mantellato, in seven minutes finally quashed the brave Bulls' hopes of an upset before John Boudebza helped raise the half century for Rovers on the hooter.

Hull FC eased into the last 16 with a routine 34-12 win over Championship part-timers Sheffield Eagles at Bramall Lane.

Australian Jordan Rankin was the Black and Whites' match winner in their fifth-round tie with a try and five goals but it was his half-back partner Leon Pryce, a cup winner with both Bradford and St Helens, who did all the early damage.

Sheffield's best spells came at the start of each half before Hull had time to settle but their last-tackle options left a lot to be desired, although they restored their pride with two quickfire tries in the second half.

However, overall the visitors looked a class apart and took control with three tries in a 10-minute spell midway through the first half.

Australian second rower Mark Minichiello went over in the next play for his first try for the club before Prop Mickey Paea and winger Tom Lineham, Super League's leading tryscorer, extended Hull’s lead.

The Eagles briefly stopped the rot before Pryce ripped through their defence to get full-back Jamie Shaul over for a fourth try seven minutes before half-time and Jordan Rankin kicked his third conversion to make it 22-0.

Sheffield upped their game in the second half to provide their fans in the 1,620 crowd with something to cheer.

Scrum-half Cory Aston scored the Eagles' first try on 56 minutes from a jinking run and five minutes later centre Menzie Yere followed up Laulu-Togagae's grubber kick for a second.

Hull were clearly rocking at that stage but they secured the victory with two tries in the last 10 minutes.

First centre Kirk Yeaman won the race to a grubber kick from Rankin, who then strode majestically through the heart of the Sheffield defence for his side's sixth try, to which he added his fifth goal.