CASTLEFORD TIGERS 6 LEEDS RHINOS 29
CALLUM WALKER, Mend-A-Hose Jungle, Saturday
SAM LISONE wound back the years with a rampant two-try display against a wounded Castleford.
The 31-year-old ran the Tigers ragged in a remarkable effort whilst Harry Newman and Lachlan Miller also delivered big moments for Leeds with the Tigers offering little in reply.
Captain Sam Wood dropped out for Castleford, with Louis Senior coming into the centres and Dan Okoro returning to the bench.
James Bentley missed out for Leeds as Cooper Jenkins started in the front row.
A penalty for a high shot on Tom Amone handed the Tigers the first chance but even after two six-agains, the Leeds line couldn’t be breached.
And after Jake Connor took a Daejarn Asi kick, Liam Horne tripped the Rhinos man to earn a ten-minute breather.
A Miller break threatened points but Newman couldn’t take in Brodie Croft’s bullet pass with Riley Lumb doing the same from a Miller special moments later.
It was hardly a classic, but the impetus from Lisone off the bench turned the game on its head with the powerful forward rocking Amone off his feet with his first carry, meaning the latter went off for a HIA.
Lisone’s second carry left Sam Hall clutching at thin air and from a penalty, the prop’s third touch saw him charge over on 32 minutes. Connor converted to make it 6-0.
It was quite a devastating hat-trick of events with the game on a knife edge until that point. And the closeness of the fixture was epitomised when Connor sent over a field-goal with a minute of the half remaining for a 7-0 lead.
Though Castleford didn’t look like scoring in the first half, the same couldn’t be said immediately following the resumption as Alex Mellor rampaged over Croft to send Louis Senior off from halfway for a scintillating effort. Rowan Milnes converted to reduce the deficit to one at 7-6.
The Rhinos thought they had scored moments later when a Croft kick was palmed down by James McDonnell into Newman’s hands, but video referee Chris Kendall adjudged McDonnell had knocked on.
It was calamitous from Castleford in the next set, Croft’s deft grubber being lost by Innes Senior into the arms of Newman who only had to drop on the ball. Connor couldn’t convert as Leeds led 11-6.
The luck was starting to turn in the Rhinos’ favour and when Croft’s next stab through ricocheted off Chris Atkin, Newman was able to catch and pass to the onrushing Ryan Hall. This time Connor added the extras for a 17-6 lead.
Louis Senior thought he had responded with a 90-metre dash only for play to be brought back for a knock-on on the hour and it was from yet another kick that Leeds registered their fourth.
This time it was Connor’s bomb that was caught by Cameron Smith and his expert offload found McDonnell with Newman on his shoulder to dive over. Connor made it 23-6 with twelve minutes to go.
Tex Hoy picked Mikolaj Oledzki’s pocket to ensure the Tigers didn’t concede straight after, but Lisone once more took advantage of a Leeds kick to force his way over and cap off an unbelievable performance. Connor rounded off the scores at 29-6.
GAMESTAR: Sam Lisone made an instant impact off the bench to ignite this local derby.
GAMEBREAKER: Harry Newman’s second, to make it 23-6, killed the game off.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Sam Lisone knocking Tom Amone off his feet in a real bone-crunching run and then scoring on his next touch was something to behold.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Sam Lisone (Leeds)
2 pts Harry Newman (Leeds)
1 pt Lachlan Miller (Leeds)
MATCHFACTS
TIGERS
1 Tex Hoy
24 Josh Simm
3 Zac Cini
22 Louis Senior
5 Innes Senior
6 Daejarn Asi
7 Rowan Milnes
41 Tom Amone
9 Liam Horne
10 George Lawler
13 Joe Westerman
12 Alex Mellor
38 Brad Singleton
Subs (all used)
19 Sam Hall
20 Muizz Mustapha
35 Dan Okoro
42 Chris Atkin
18th man (not used)
16 Cain Robb
Also in the 21-man squad
4 Sam Wood
39 Hugo Salabio
– Andy Djeukessi
Tries: L Senior (41)
Goals: Milnes 1/1
Sin bin: Horne (8) – professional foul
RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miller
5 Ryan Hall
3 Harry Newman
4 Ash Handley
23 Riley Lumb
6 Brodie Croft
18 Jake Connor
17 Cooper Jenkins
14 Jarrod O’Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
12 James McDonnell
16 Morgan Gannon
28 Kallum Watkins
Subs (all used)
10 Keenan Palasia
13 Cameron Smith
15 Sam Lisone
19 Tom Holroyd
18th man (not used)
11 James Bentley
Also in 21-man squad
7 Matt Frawley
20 Jack Sinfield
27 Ethan Clark-Wood
Tries: Lisone (32, 74), Newman (50, 67), Hall (55)
Goals: Connor 4/5
Field-goals: Connor (39)
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-7; 6-7, 6-11, 6-17, 6-23, 6-29
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Alex Mellor; Rhinos: Sam Lisone
Penalty count: 4-6
Half-time: 0-7
Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 8,069
