Women’s Championship Round 10 (one bye)
Twist Lane, Sunday 23 June 2024 (2pm)
Leigh Leopards 46-8 Oulton Raidettes
Kate Howard and Mollie Young each scored hat-tricks as Leopards began the second half of their Championship campaign where they left off in the first.
Leopards ran in nine tries in warm conditions at Twist Lane to make it nine wins out of nine as they continued to set the pace at the top.
Head coach Kieron Purtill again rotated his squad effectively as captain Mairead Quinn, Rhianna Burke, Freya Turner and Abi Gordon were rested or nursing minor injuries.
Howard began at six, forming a fluent partnership with Leah Morris, and got her side off to the best possible start with a try in the opening minute.
Ireland international Young then burst over on the left as Leopards came racing out of the blocks.
When Charlotte Melvin finished off a great team move with her side’s third try and added her third conversion Leopards had chalked up 18 points inside the opening ten minutes.
Raidettes had given the Leopards their stiffest test of the league campaign so far, losing only 26-6 in Round One in West Yorkshire, and for the next half hour they showed why.
The visitors got back in the game when Kaya-Jo Laing forced her way over the line in a massed tackle and they defended stoutly when Leopards put together some good attacking shapes.
But for Howard’s try-saving tackle on Oulton fullback Holly Humpries by the flag just before half-time the visitors could have narrowed the deficit further.
Leopards had been forced into some sturdy defensive stints, and showed patience on attack. Once they started the second half in the same fluent fashion that they had begun the first Leopards ruthlessly widened the gap.
Storm Cobain, again forming an outstanding second row with Keli Morris, scored her side’s fourth try within 30 seconds of the restart before Young added her second try with another incisive finish down the left.
Howard, now switched to her normal hooking role after Rachel Porter put in a good stint at nine, punished a retreating defence with a sizzling 40-metre scoring run from dummy half.
Coach Purtill cleverly rotated his pack in the testing conditions, Eleanor Dainty and Georgia Mole in particular causing plenty of damage down the middle. Grace Hill was another who impressed and she lifted the coach’s player of the match award.
Keira McCosh, Claire Mullaney, Sam Brazier and Claire Collins all put in valuable minutes and the strength and depth of the Leopards’ forward options was an important factor.
Raidettes scored their second try just after the hour-mark when Grace Short crossed down the right- good reward for the visitors who showed plenty of promise in possession.
But Leopards finished strongly, just failing to reach the 50-mark for what would have been the fifth successive game.
Howard’s run, Cobain’s support play and Young’s finish completed the first hat-trick of the afternoon.
Toryn Blackwood then bravely got the ball down in a massed tackle by the right corner flag after Leopards swiftly moved the ball across the line.
Howard completed her hat-trick with another individual effort from dummy half, racing clear from 30-metres out as she spied her opportunity against a tiring defence.
Another impressive performance from the Leopards with good all-round performances.
New signing Becky Greenfield played in four positions and was one of seven Leopards players to put in an 80-minute stint in the warmest conditions of the season so far.
For once fullback Hattie Dogus wasn’t on the scoresheet.
She still leads the way in the try-scoring charts with 16 tries but now has Howard (12 tries), Young and Blackwood (11 each) also in double figures.
Melvin passed 50 goals for the season and now has 144 points from nine tries and 54 goals.
Leopards hit the road for their next three fixtures, playing Salford Red Devils, Sheffield Eagles and Dewsbury Moor away during July. Salford is next up on Sunday 7 July (noon).
Castleford Tigers are next visitors to Twist Lane on Sunday 4 August (2pm).
Leopards
1 Hattie Dogus; 2 Toryn Blackwood, 11 Charlotte Melvin, 24 Mollie Young, 32 Becky Greenfield; 9 Kate Howard, 7 Leah Morris; 8 Keira McCosh, 14 Rachel porter, 20 Eleanor Dainty, 11 Keli Morris, 16 Storm Cobain, 18 Grace Hill
Bench:
14 Claire Mullaney, 15 Sam Brazier, 23 Georgia Mole, 13 Claire Collins. 18th player: 28 Freya Turner (not used)
Tries: Howard (1, 53, 73), Young (7, 45, 67), Melvin (10), Cobain (41), Blackwood (70)
Goals: Melvin 5/ 9
Raidettes
1 Holly Humphries; 2 Honey Oxtoby, 4 Danielle Rose, 3 Connie Boyd, 18 Kiah Holmes; 6 Keira Gittins, 16 Hannah Hill; 8 Abby Briggs, 9 Leah McFarlane, 15 Vanessa Harriman, 11 Grace Short, 12 Keira Brock, 13 Lily Thompson
Bench: 7 India Thorp, 10 Kaya-Jo Laing, 17 Maddison Hirstm 20 Alisha Nix. 18th player: 5 Ruby Medley (not used)
Tries: Laing (23), Short (62)
Goals: Oxtoby 0/ 1, Gittins 0/ 1
Scoring sequence: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 18-4 (ht) 22-4, 26-4, 32-4, 32-8, 36-8, 40-8, 46-8
Referee: Dylan Barlow
Penalty count: 3-5
