Sunday 25 August 2024, Cherry Red Records Stadium, Wimbledon (3pm)
London Broncos 12-32 Leigh Leopards
Leopards’ seventh win in their last eight games moved them above Leeds Rhinos and into seventh in the Betfred Super League table, within one point of Catalans and Saints with four rounds to go.
It was far from a convincing display but a dominant last quarter, in which Leopards scored 20 unopposed points, earned the vital victory.
Broncos scored first after both sides made a sluggish start to the game, Sam Davis touching down Oli Leyland’s grubber, confirmed by the video referee.
Leopards responded through a precise Gareth O’Brien kick to the right corner, anticipated by the eager Darnell McIntosh for the touchdown.
Play continued to be scrappy and both sides were reduced temporarily to 12 men, John Asiata guilty of a late challenge then Rob Butler following him for a vigorous late tackle on O’Brien.
O’Brien picked himself up and came up with another finely judged kick which Frankie Halton touched down for the second Leopards’ try.
Leopards were back to a full complement as they scored their third try, again from a kick. This time Lachlan Lam dinked a kick to the left and Ricky Leutele somehow grounded before the ball ran dead.
Leopards’ 12-6 half-time lead was hard earned and would have been greater had Zak Hardaker managed any of his three conversion attempts in the swirling wind.
Broncos made the better start to the second half, drawing level with a short range Josh Rourke try, converted by the creator, Leyland. In the build up Leopards made an error in possession and compounded that with conceding a penalty and a six-again.
The visitors were really struggling for any decent possession until midway through the second half when a short spell of sustained pressure led to a penalty for offside, Hardaker taking the two.
Finally the Leopards raised the pace, capitalising on a Broncos error in possession and switching desperate defence to their first decent attack of the half. Lachlan Lam’s short ball hit Kai O’Donnell at speed and he did the rest, rounding the fullback for the match clinching converted try.
Matt Davis’s arrival from the bench had pepped up the attack and Leopards were now in control. Lam worked the blindside to Leutele and O’Brien was in support to take the inside pass and romp over for another six pointer.
Leopards’ dominant final quarter was confirmed when Tom Amone charged for the line and Aaron Pene was on the spot when the ball came loose in the tackle to dive over.
The large travelling support celebrated in the London sunshine and looked forward to next Friday’s visit of Warrington Wolves to the Leopards Den.
Leopards
3 Zak Hardaker; 34 Darnell McIntosh, 24 Umyla Hanley, 4 Ricky Leutele, 22 Keanan Brand; 1 Gareth O’Brien, 7 Lachlan Lam; 8 Tom Amone, 9 Edwin Ipape, 35 Aaron Pene, 11 Kai O’Donnell, 16 Frankie Halton, 13 John Asiata (capt)
Bench:
12 Jack Hughes, 15 Matt Davis, 17 Owen Trout, 33 Brad Dwyer. 18th player: 5 Josh Charnley (not used)
Tries: McIntosh (17), Halton (30), Leutele (38), O’Donnell (67), O’Brien (73), Pene (80)
Goals: Hardaker 4/ 7
Sin bin: Asiata (26)
Broncos
23 Josh Rourke; 2 Lee Kershaw, 3 Jarred Bassett, 12 Natoli, 5 Iliess Macani; 6 Jack Campagnolo, 20 Oliver Leyland; 19 Rhys Kennedy, 9 Sam Davis, 8 Rob Butler, 11 Will Lovell, 17 Sadiq Adebiyi, 15 Marcus Stock
Bench:
4 Hakim Miloudi, 34 Ugo Tison, 10 Lewis Bienek, 29 Jacob Jones. 18th player: 21 Robbie Storey (not used)
Tries: Davis (14), Rourke (45)
Goals: Leyland 2/ 2
Sin bin: Butler (29)
Scoring sequence: 6-0, 6-4, 6-8, 6-12 (ht) 12-12, 12–14, 12-20, 12-26, 12-32
Referee: Jack Smith; Touch judges: D Arnold & H Pilkington; Reserve referee: H Winnard; Video referee: Chris Kendall; M Comm: D Moss: Timekeeper: A Creasey
Penalty count: 5-6
GLDO: 1-0
Attendance: 2,000
