Betfred Super League Round 4
Leigh Leopards 16 Leeds Rhinos 22
Leeds Rhinos took the spoils in an archetypal game of two halves, overcoming a 16-0 half-time deficit with four unopposed second half tries at the Leopards Den.
All 38 points were scored at the South Stand end as the Leopards squandered what looked to be a dominant advantage.
The Leopards scored three tries, and had two further try claims ruled out by the video referee, before the visitors got out of their starting blocks.
Leopards made a confident start and made the initial breakthrough thanks to Gareth O’Brien, who took Lachlan Lam’s pass on the last tackle at speed and dummied through for a splendid try on the left.
The confidence flowed as the home side went through their sets, Lam and Matt Moylan dictating things in the middle and Tom Amone and Robbie Mulhern prominent with their charging runs.
Leopards’ second try just after the midway point of the first half was fashioned by the halfback pair, Lam supplying the assist for Kai O’Donnell to burst over down the left channel and reach out over the whitewash. Moylan converted for the Leopards’ first successful goal kick of the season, at the fifth attempt.
Zal Hardaker had confidently collected a Matt Frawley high kick to claim a 20-metre restart in the build-up, Umyla Hanley supplying the momentum with a fine supporting run.
Hanley had already settled in well after coming in for the injured Tom Briscoe and five minutes later he scored his side’s third try of the evening with an acrobatic finish in the right corner after juggling O’Brien’s brilliant cut-out pass.
Moylan was unable to convert from out wide but was able to add a 28-metre penalty after Jarrod O’Connor was pulled up for a high tackle on Mulhern.
Just before half-time Amone had claims for a try ruled out by the video referee, ruled to have made a double movement as he looked to have grounded in a massed tackle and the Leopards had to be satisfied with a 16pt advantage as they headed for the dressing room after dominating the opening 40 minutes.
The second half began with the Leopards again on the front foot and Hanley was denied a second try by a whisker after another acrobatic finish by the flag. Referee Chris Kendall gave an on field try but Hanley was adjudged to have brushed the whitewash.
Brode Croft escaped with a telling off for his challenge after O’Brien fell heavily following his collection of a high kick, then Andy Ackers was also admonished but not sin-binned after another Rhinos high tackle, with O’Connor again conceding a penalty for a high challenge.
At this stage Leopards had an 8-2 penalty count in their favour and their possession advantage was such that when Frankie Halton was held up over the line they still looked dominant.
But the game changed when Rhyse Martin fastened onto Croft’s pass to stretch over and score the Rhinos’ first try, adding the conversion to reduce the deficit to ten points.
O’Brien was then harshly sin binned after being adjudged to have held down Croft after another Leeds attack. He was just about to return from the bin when Matt Fawley dummied his way over, Martin again on target.
Two minutes later the Rhinos were level, Ash Handley scoring his first try after a Martin kick on halfway, combining with Paul Momirovski down the left. Though the conversion attempt failed, Rhinos had the initiative and momentum.
They took advantage with just ten minutes remaining as Croft was twice involved in a fast-flowing move finished by Handley for his second try, Martin converting.
As the Leopards tried desperately to pull the game out of the fire Justin Sangare was sin-binned for a late tackle on Amone but the visitors held on. And the Leopards’ miserable evening was compounded when Lam was assisted off the field with a severe, deep gash on his leg.
Leopards:
1 Gareth O’Brien; 24 Umyla Hanley, 3 Zak Hardaker, 4 Ricky Leutele, 5 Josh Charnley; 6 Matt Moylan, 7 Lachlan Lam (capt); 12 Jack Hughes, 33 Brad Dwyer, 10 Robbie Mulhern, 11 Kai O’Donnell, 16 Frankie Halton, 8 Tom Amone.
Bench: 14 Dan Norman, 15 Matt Davis, 18 Ben Nakubuwai, 17 Owen Trout. 18th man 19 Ed Chamberlain (not used)
Sin bin: O’Brien (52)
Tries: O’Brien (13), O’Donnell (21), Hanley (26)
Goals: Moylan 2/ 4
Rhinos:
1 Lachlan Miller; 24 Luis Roberts, 3 Harry Newman, 4 Paul Momirovski, 5 Ash Handley; 6 Brad Croft, 7 Matthew Frawley; 8 Mikolaj Oledzki, 9 Andy Ackers, 18 Mickael Goudemand, 16 James McDonnell, 12 Rhyse Martin, 13 Cameron Smith (capt).
Bench: 14 Jarrod O’Connor, 10 Tom Holroyd, 23 Leon Ruan, 17 Justin Sangare. 18th man 29 Alfie Edgell (not used)
Sin bin: Sangare (74)
Tries: Martin (49), Frawley (61), Handley (63, 70)
Goals: Martin 3/ 4
Referee: Chris Kendall; Touch-judges: D Bowmer & M Craven; Video referee: Ben Thaler
Half-time: 16-0
Penalty count: 12-5
Progressive scores: 4-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0, 16-6, 16-12, 16-16, 16-22
Leopards Man of the Match: Matt Moylan
Main Match Sponsor: Retirement Professionals
Player of the Match Sponsor: Holland & Barrett
Match Ball Sponsor: Edu-Lettings
Official Kit and Retail Partner: Patrick
