PROPS tend to be powerful by nature, but New Zealander Franklin Pele is something else altogether. After a dreadful start to life in England with Hull FC in Betfred Super League earlier this year, many had written him off and expected him to return to the other side of the world as quickly as he had arrived. Yet Bulls took a chance on him in the summer, and he has taken the Championship by storm, leaving destruction in his wake.
He terrified Dewsbury last night, scoring two tries that showcased his immense power in all its glory, with the second seeing him even throw a bit of quick feet in for good measure. And it was fitting that he held off a desperate defence in the dying seconds to set up Keven Appo for Bulls’ ninth try of the night, as they destroyed the rock-bottom Rams 54-0. Pele is certainly unique, and head coach Eamon O’Carroll told the T&A after the game: “He does bring something different to the table .
“With Franklin, you can see how important he is to us and how well liked he is by the rest of the group. “But I think we’re really lucky as a team because it’s not just Franklin, Harvey Makin and Ebon Scurr punch those holes in defences too. “I’m really pleased to see Ebon back, I nearly didn’t select him, but Logan (Bayliss) pulled out late on in the week in training.
“ That would have been a tough decision, because Ebon feels like he’s ready to go and we know how important he is to us. “I want him to play for the rest of the year without.