LEIGH LEOPARDS 62 BRADFORD BULLS 10
DAVE PARKINSON, Progress With Unity Stadium, Friday

A RAMPANT second half from Leigh saw them pile on ten tries and misery for Bradford after they had fought hard to keep it at 14-4 at half-time.

Adam Cook converted every try and kicked a penalty, ensuring this was the Leopards’ record Super League win, surpassing a 54-4 victory at Hull FC two years ago.

There wasn’t much sign of that coming early on as the game ebbed and flowed. Umyla Hanley saw a try disallowed after grounding on the dead-ball line following an astute grubber kick from Cook before two breaks from Caleb Aekins pushed Leigh back, although the Bradford fullback had to leave the field after ten minutes for an HIA.

The Leopards took the lead on twelve minutes when Robbie Mulhern stormed over from some bright play out of dummy-half by Liam Horne.

Cook goaled and added a 17th-minute penalty to extend the hosts’ advantage to 8-0.

An error from David Armstrong saw Bradford launch an attacking scrum and, moving the ball right, Waqa Blake was able to escape the clutches of Innes Senior to dive over in the corner. Luke Hooley couldn’t goal but it was 8-4.

An obstruction on Hanley by Hooley ten metres out resulted in a penalty and, from another set of six, Mulhern went close before Louis Brogan crashed through.

Cook added his third goal and it was 14-4, which is how it remained at half-time as Bradford clung on admirably with penalties and set restarts going against them.

An injury before the break meant that Leigh began the second half minus Armstrong, with Josh Charnley deputising and Hanley moving out to the wing.

An error from the kick-off was a sign of things to come for the Bulls, bringing an attacking scrum from which Leigh quickly moved the ball left for Senior to dive in at the corner.

A sparkling attack from the Leopards saw them advance down the right through Jacob Alick-Wiencke and he turned the ball inside for the supporting Lam to go under the posts.

With Lam a running threat, he fed the ball inside to Cook who twice toed forward to score by the posts and add another six points for the Leopards.

Bradford looked leggy and an error 30 metres from their own line was converted by Senior from a similar scrum play to his first.

Hanley, on the day his call-up to the England performance squad was announced, swept over on the right from a looping Lam ball.

Joe Ofahengaue then started and finished the Leopards’ eighth try following an unselfish offload from Owen Trout.

Cook’s boot brought up the half century-before bringing the house down two minutes later with his second try after Liam Horne broke through the middle.

Still the Leopards weren’t done, and a break from Senior was converted by Lam for his own second score.

Only with Jayden Okunbor’s late interception was the home momentum halted, and while that move was brought back, the Bulls finally enjoyed some pressure following an Aekins intercept and a penalty. Eliot Peposhi grabbed the late consolation and Chris Atkin goaled.

GAMESTAR: Adam Cook was in supreme form alongside his partner-in-crime Lachlan Lam.

GAMEBREAKER: Two tries in the first eight minutes of the second half had Bradford in lots of trouble.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Adam Cook’s first try was one for the reel, twice kicking on after supporting a break.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Adam Cook (Leigh)
2 pts Lachlan Lam (Leigh)
1 pt Joe Ofahengaue (Leigh)

MATCHFACTS

LEOPARDS
1 David Armstrong
19 Innes Senior
23 Andy Badrock
4 Umyla Hanley
5 Josh Charnley
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
13 Isaac Liu
17 Liam Horne
10 Robbie Mulhern
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
12 Owen Trout
8 Joe Ofahengaue
Subs (all used)
9 Edwin Ipape
16 Matt Davis
25 Louis Brogan
32 Jack Ashworth (D3)
18th man (not used)
21 Gareth O’Brien
Also in the 20-man squad
20 AJ Towse
26 Nathan Wilde

Tries: Mulhern (12), Brogan (33), Senior (41, 58), Lam (48, 74), Cook (52, 71), Hanley (64), Ofahengaue (68)
Goals: Cook 11/11

BULLS
1 Caleb Aekins
2 Jayden Okunbor
4 Waqa Blake
22 Luke Hooley
5 Ethan Ryan
18 Joe Keyes
32 Chris Atkin
19 Will Gardiner
9 Andy Ackers
10 Loghan Lewis
11 Dan Russell
25 Eliot Peposhi
13 Joe Mellor
Subs (all used)
16 Ebon Scurr
28 Jamie Gill
30 Leon Ruan
38 Riley Dean
18th man (not used)
27 Alfie Leake
Also in 21-man squad
12 Zac Fulton
23 Connor Wynne
36 Harvey Ward

Tries: Blake (27), Peposhi (78)
Goals: Hooley 0/1, Atkin 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 8-0, 8-4, 14-4; 20-4, 26-4, 32-4, 38-4, 44-4, 50-4, 56-4, 62-4, 62-10

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Adam Cook; Bulls: Caleb Aekins

Penalty count: 8-2
Half-time: 14-4
Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 8,045