LEEDS RHINOS 20 ST HELENS 22
LORRAINE MARSDEN, AMT Headingley, Friday

MANY may be expecting Wigan to run away with the league this season, but Leeds and St Helens both put on a show to prove that neither of them should be written off just yet.

Halfbacks Mel Howard for Leeds and Saints’ Faye Gaskin showed their experience and proved vital to their teams’ efforts, bagging a brace of tries each and leading from the front.

And it was Gaskin that sealed the win with a touchline conversion with the hooter imminent. That came after a try from former Rhinos favourite Caitlin Casey levelled up the scores in a game that was end-to-end and only sealed at the death.

Saints could have opened the scoring inside five minutes when back-to-back penalties took them to within 20 metres of the line, but after Emily Rudge was held up by impressive Rhinos defence they could not find another way through and an early spell of pressure came to nothing.

The visitors then suffered a double blow when Zoe Harris had to be helped from the field with an injury just minutes before Leeds opened the scoring.

With much of the opening quarter played in the middle of the field, it was going to take something special to break the deadlock. That came when Welsh international Bethan Dainton, playing as a makeshift centre, burst through the line after taking a neat pass by Howard.

She was hauled down five metres short by Saints fullback Beri Salihi, but the ball was worked left for Tally Bryer, called into the starting line-up at the last minute when Sophie Nuttall withdrew through illness, to grab her first league try of the season The touchline conversion attempt from Howard fell short.

The hosts’ lead didn’t last long and just seven minutes later, after gradually increasing the pressure, Saints took a slim lead. The introduction of Vicky Whitfield was instrumental as her charging put Leeds on the back foot and when Jodie Cunningham’s kick through on the last came back off the post pad, the chasing Gaskin touched it down – the score confirmed by former Saints star and now match official Tara Jones, who was perhaps controversially acting as video referee.

Gaskin converted her own score and was on target again less than ten minutes later after getting her second try of the half, when she took the short pass from Katie Mottershead to dummy back on the inside and crash over to give Saints a 12-4 lead at half-time.

The second half had barely kicked off when a knock-on from Leeds put Saints on the attack and as the ball was worked through several pairs of hands, Dani McGifford found herself on the end of it to race in at the corner. It proved too far out though for Gaskin to continue her success with the boot.

That score seemed to spur Leeds into life and Howard’s kick-fire double just before the hour mark got Leeds back to within two. The tries were near-identical, with Howard throwing the dummy ten metres out before scooting through a gap to touchdown.

She missed the first conversion, but after cutting in closer to the posts for the second, Bryer was able to add the extras while Howard was treated behind the sticks.

And soon Leeds were back in the lead as Ruby Bruce scurried her way over from dummy-half, with Howard adding her first goal of the game.

Evie Cousins thought she had further increased Leeds’ lead, but video referee Jones ruled Salihi grounded the Rhinos’ long punt forward a split second before the centre got to it.

Howard missed a penalty attempt that would have made it a six-point ball game, just moments before Casey’s try and Gaskin’s winning goal.

GAMESTAR: Two tries and three crucial goals from Faye Gaskin proved the difference.

GAMEBREAKER: Gaskin’s conversion on the hooter sealed an enthralling win for Leeds.

MATCHFACTS
RHINOS
2 Ebony Stead
18 Liv Whitehead
13 Bethan Dainton
4 Evie Cousins
24 Tally Bryer
6 Mel Howard
7 Ruby Walker
10 Izzy Northrop
14 Ruby Bruce
15 Ella Donnelly
12 Lucy Murray
11 Shannon Brown
8 Bella Sykes
Subs (all used)
23 Frankie Blakey
22 Connie Boyd
16 Kaiya Glynn
19 Grace Field

Tries: Bryer (19), Howard (56, 59), Bruce (67)
Goals: Howard 1/4, Bryer 1/1

SAINTS
1 Beri Salihi
22 Rebecca Rotheram
18 Rachael Woosey
23 Luci McColm
25 Dani McGifford
6 Zoe Harris
7 Faye Gaskin
14 Naomi Williams
9 Katie Mottershead
10 Chantelle Crowl
11 Shona Hoyle
12 Emily Rudge
13 Jodie Cunningham
Subs (all used)
8 Vicky Whitfield
16 Darcy Stott
17 Caitlin Casey
20 Erin McDonald

Tries: Gaskin (26, 23), McGifford (42), Casey (79)
Goals: Gaskin 3/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-6, 4-12; 4-16, 8-16, 14-16, 20-16, 20-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Rhinos: Mel Howard; Saints: Faye Gaskin

Penalty count: 5-4
Half-time: 4-12
Referee: Freddie Lincoln