Hull KR got their Super League season up and running with an eight-try demolition of Widnes at MS3 Craven Park.
Eight different players contributed tries for Hull, with captain Michael Dobson opening the scoring in the eighth minute while he also added six goals. Rovers had the match all but wrapped up by half-time after establishing a 34-0 lead, before Widnes added some respectability with second-half scores from Gareth Hock, Rhys Hanbury and Alex Gerrard.
The hosts took the lead following a superb 60-metre break from Omari Caro who picked a loose ball up on his own 20-metre line. The winger showed some of the pace that made him Super League's fastest player last season before Dobson ducked inside to score near the left-hand corner.
The Robins skipper could not convert on that occasion but he did nine minutes later when Caro continued his excellent start to the game by intercepting Hanbury's pass 20 metres from his own line and his electrifying speed saw him sprint clear to score his second try of the season.
Rovers for the first time this season were enjoying the best start to a match. Con Mika's excellent hit on Eamon O'Carroll forced the knock on which gave the home side another promising platform to attack from, and on-loan Dale Ferguson powered his way through in the 21st minute to extend Rovers' lead further. Dobson's conversion made it 16-0 as Widnes looked a beaten side already.
Things just got worse for Denis Betts' men as Rovers looked to put their successive defeats behind them. Rovers capitalised on the new advantage rule when Shaun Briscoe spilled a Dobson bomb 15 metres from his own line. Prop Evarn Tuimavave was first to the loose ball and scooped it up for Kris Welham to score in his first match of the campaign after recovering from a hand injury.
Rovers still were not done with their first-half dominance, though. Graeme Horne came off the bench in the 31st minute and scored under the posts with his first touch thanks to a fine offload by Rhys Lovegrove. Then, in Rovers next set, Lovegrove was at it again with another assist to send Greg Eden over under the posts.
The Vikings offered very little in attack before the interval but it took them just five minutes of the second half to get on the scoreboard thanks to Hock.
Hanbury converted and although a comeback was really never on the visitors never game up. Hanbury tried his best to make a game of it and deservedly got on the scoresheet in the 63rd minute, with his conversion closing the gap to 22 points.
It spurred Rovers back into action. Chris Heil made it two tries in three games for the Robins with a clever converted try in the 65th minute.
Back came the Vikings and they rounded off the scoring with a late consolation try from Gerrard, converted by Hanbury.