Barrow Island cruised into the second round of the Challenge Cup with an emphatic 84-6 victory over Rhondda Outlaws at Rating Lane.

Ben Garner and Sam Jones were both to the fore after the duo opted to play for the Island instead of Barrow Raiders and they amassed 44 points between them, with Garner bagging four tries and Jones kicking 12 goals and on top of his try.

The Outlaws put up a brave show but the Welsh champions found the pace and skills of the hosts too much and out of their reach.

They didn’t go home pointless thanks to a fine individual try from stand-off Kevin James, who covered 30 yards to score out wide with hard working hooker Chris Harris adding the goal.

The home forwards laid the foundation with Ryan Clegg, Adam Nicholson and Rhys Bartlett at the forefront as they went on the rampage.

The game was barely three minutes old when a neat flick out of the back door from Nicholson found Max Moore who crossed the whitewash, with Jones tagging on the first of 12 conversions.

Within two minutes, Nicholson was touching down after taking a neat ball from Ian Irvine before the Outlaws were reduced to 12 men on 12 minutes with Leuan Griffiths dispatched to the sin bin for a high tackle.

Sixty seconds later, a sweeping attack saw the ball through the hands of Josh Banham, Irvine and Nicholson and in at the corner was debutant Nathan Sneesby.

A further score was denied when Garner chipped ahead but on hand to avert further danger was James. However, there was no denying Garner. who rounded off an attack from Irvine.

The Outlaws were finding it hard to cope with the speed of the Island and went further behind when Jack Sutherland raced over for Jones to convert.

Nicholson the ripped open the cover to pull away and cross from 45 yards before a neat switch of play from Irvine foxed the cover and touching down under the posts was Garner, Jones obliging with the extra two points

A counter attack from the scrum saw Noah Robinson kick to the corner, which allowed Jones to pounce and take the score to 44-0 at the break.

Ex-Millom player Robinson started to punch holes in the visitors defence in the second half and when he broke clear, Moore was in support to send Clegg over, with Jones chalking up the half-century with the kick.

Island were then caught napping as James went upfield to score, Harris adding the goal for 50-6, but Irvine soon responded when he cut through to dot the ball down, with Jones again on target.

Garner crossed for 60-6 and the tries kept on coming as the centre crossed for his fourth before Jake Stockdale and Moore added late scores for the hosts, with the boot of Jones continuing to punish the visitors.