LEEDS RHINOS 48 LEIGH LEOPARDS 24
PHIL CAPLAN, AMT Headingley, Friday
IF the summer is going to belong to Super League, as advertised, it needs more games like this.
Leeds and Leigh produced a 14-try, end-to-end thriller in the battle for third spot, in the sides’ first meeting of the campaign.
Brad Arthur asked for a response from his side after their loss at St Helens and, with Kallum Watkins and Harry Newman to the fore, he got it in sensational fashion.
Leigh more than played their part in a game that epitomised the best of the sport, but defeat pushed them down to fourth.
The Leopards brought in Jack Hughes for suspended Alec Tuitavake in the only change after their gritty win at Catalans.
Leeds replaced injured Morgan Gannon with Cooper Jenkins and, rotating their squad, brought Alfie Edgell in for previously ever-present Riley Lumb and Jack Sinfield onto the bench instead of James Bentley.
Watkins opened the scoring for the Rhinos after Jake Connor kicked early behind the Leigh line for him to chase.
Leopards responded as James McDonnell’s offload in his own 30 was intercepted by Edwin Ipape, after which Tesi Niu and Lachlan Lam kept the ball moving and Isaac Liu powered his way over near the posts.
With Leigh looking threatening, Lam lost possession over his shoulder on the last, Newman gathered and superbly fed Lachlan Miller who went 70 metres for a stunning breakaway try.
Edgell had a try ruled out in the corner after being deemed to have lost the ball, and at the other end Ipape, Gareth O’Brien and Umyla Hanley fed Brand into the corner.
But back came Leeds following the first penalty on the half hour, with Brodie Croft heavily involved and Cameron Smith juggling the ball and stepping over.
As the breathless half ended Croft then broke free and sent Newman in at the corner with a looping pass. Connor’s conversion from touch went in off a post for a three-score lead at 24-10.
Fullback David Armstrong, struggling throughout the first half was his knee, was finally withdrawn at the break by Leigh, who struck first in the second half when Hanley took Ben McNamara’s kick and brilliantly offloaded to Gareth O’Brien.
But Leeds restored a comfortable cushion when Miller kicked, Ryan Hall palmed back and Newman went in for his brace.
Watkins then produced a moment to remember on the next set, Jarrod O’Connor putting Connor into space and Watkins magnificently dummying his way over.
O’Brien failed to kick the restart ten metres but the Leigh defence held out and then, when Brand was caught high, capitalised as Lam, McNamara and O’Brien enabled Brand to step his way over.
But McNamara fumbled on the restart, Leeds got a set restart and Holroyd thundered his way over.
As the be and flow continued, Leigh grabbed a short kick-off, received a back-to-one on the last, and Lam and O’Brien sent Brand diving in at the corner for his first Super League hat-trick.
Leeds played tit-for-tat as Croft went high on the last, Connor outjumped O’Brien and Mikolaj Oledzki took the offload.
The Leopards again won the short kick-off and Lam found McNamara whose grubber to the posts was snaffled by Hanley for the final score of a hectic contest.
Referee Liam Moore deserves a huge amount of credit for keeping the action flowing with minimal penalties and set restarts.
GAMESTAR: One of the great mid-season signings, Kallum Watkins rolled back the years with a magnificent 80-minute performance.
GAMEBREAKER: Tom Holroyd’s barnstorming try in the 64th minute gave Leeds a 22-point advantage and breathing space.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: An audacious dummy from Kallum Watkins to claim his second try was audacity at its best and fooled the entire stadium.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Kallum Watkins (Leeds)
2 pts Harry Newman (Leeds)
1 pt Joe Ofahengaue (Leigh)
MATCHFACTS
RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miller
5 Ryan Hall
3 Harry Newman
4 Ash Handley
21 Alfie Edgell
6 Brodie Croft
18 Jake Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
14 Jarrod O’Connor
17 Cooper Jenkins
28 Kallum Watkins
12 James McDonnell
10 Keenan Palasia
Subs (all used)
13 Cameron Smith
19 Tom Holroyd
15 Sam Lisone
20 Jack Sinfield
18th man (not used)
29 Presley Cassell
Also in 21-man squad
9 Andy Ackers
11 James Bentley
23 Riley Lumb
Tries: Watkins (4, 53), Miller (15), Smith (31), Newman (39, 50), Holroyd (64), Oledzki (73)
Goals: Connor 8/8
LEOPARDS
1 David Armstrong
2 Darnell McIntosh
3 Tesi Niu
4 Umyla Hanley
18 Keanan Brand
6 Gareth O’Brien
7 Lachlan Lam
32 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Frankie Halton
8 Owen Trout
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
12 Jack Hughes
20 Ethan O’Neill
16 Matt Davis
22 Ben McNamara
18th man (not used)
24 Bailey Hodgson
Also in 20-man squad
5 Josh Charnley
17 Brad Dwyer
Tries: Liu (10), Brand (22, 62, 68), O’Brien (43), Hanley (75)
Goals: O’Brien 3/6
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6, 12-10, 18-10, 24-10; 24-14, 30-14, 36-14, 36-20, 42-20, 42-24, 48-24, 48-30
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rhinos: Kallum Watkins; Leopards: Joe Ofahengaue
Penalty count: 2-3
Half-time: 24-10
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 14,338