LEEDS RHINOS 38 CASTLEFORD TIGERS 24
PHIL CAPLAN, AMT Headingley, Sunday
IN A ROUND full of blow-out scores, this looked like being another for Leeds until a late revival from Castleford saved their blushes.
Tigers coach Danny McGuire, returning to the scene of his triumphs as a player for the first time as a coach, had said he was “worried” about his side going into this clash.
And he was right to be, as Leeds landed seven tries from as many different scorers to record back-to-back wins.
Both sides were down on numbers, Jack Sinfield returning in the halves for the hosts to replace hand-injury victim Matt Frawley, alongside Morgan Gannon, opposing out-of-position Tex Hoy, who was the Tigers’ best.
A cagey five drives and a kick opening on both sides was interrupted when a Castleford pass went astray on their own 10, Jake Connor forcing a goal-line drop-out but Sinfield fumbling it with a foot in touch.
Riley Lumb intercepted a Hoy pass but Leeds couldn’t make the most of the opportunity, the winger then knocking on Gannon’s offload and George Lawler doing likewise for the Tigers.
Hard working James Bentley was taken high and Sinfield conjured another drop-out, the returning Mikolaj Oledzki charged, Jake Connor danced and Hoy pouched a Harry Newman grubber.
The Tigers conceded consecutive set restarts, with Cooper Jenkins and Sinfield both going close. Connor and Gannon then sent Lumb to the corner but Sam Wood’s intervention saw the winger unable to ground the ball.
The Tigers conceded a fourth consecutive penalty, allowing Gannon made strides and, on the last tackle, Connor stepped past some static cover to force his way over to open the scoring.
Castleford gave away a third set-restart – on the last tackle – giving Connor the chance to link with Bentley to send Keenan Palasia over the line.
The Rhinos’ line held on Castleford’s first concerted attacking spell, before Lumb broke clear from a Connor pass. Gannon couldn’t make the most of an overlap but Ash Handley’s grubber across the posts was pouched by Newman to make it 18-0 at the break.
At the end of the first set of the second half, Leeds ran the ball down the right and Newman released Ryan Hall. He grubbered inside and Newman tipped the ball to Connor, who sent Sinfield over.
The Rhinos’ fifth try came when Lawler lost the ball on his own 40 and Andy Ackers, Jarrod O’Connor and Bentley combined for Handley to score, with Connor’s conversion hitting a post.
Lawler redeemed himself with a fine break up the middle with Fletcher Rooney in support to open Castleford’s account.
But the Rhinos were not deterred and Handley broke down the left, Bentley gathered to feed Sinfield who sent in Ryan Hall.
Wood won a captain’s challenge for a purported knock-on by him, but Judah Rimbu upended Jenkins and, from the penalty, Connor’s fine release allowed Handley to send Lumb into the corner to make it 38-6.
In the final ten minutes, however, Castleford finished strongly.
Rimbu was held out on the last, but James McDonnell’s flick pass was picked off by Zac Cini, who curved to the corner from 40 metres out, with Hoy adding the touchline conversion.
Leeds were successful with a captain’s challenge but Connor’s only wayward pass saw Wood gather and, although he was run down, Hoy shipped in Jeremiah Simbiken with a lovely pass.
From the restart, Rimbu sent Innes Senior clear down the wing and he swept 70 metres for a fine finish.
GAMESTAR: Jake Connor had a hand or foot in most good things by the hosts and opened the scoring with a lovely step.
GAMEBREAKER: When Harry Newman scored a try in the lead up to half-time to make it 18-0, Cas looked unlikely to cross four times having only made it to the Leeds quarter once.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: The appearance of Lindsey Burrow before kick-off, promoting her new book ‘Take Care’, was cheered to the rafters by all present.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jake Connor (Leeds)
2 pts James Bentley (Leeds)
1 pt Jack Sinfield (Leeds)
MATCHFACTS
RHINOS
18 Jake Connor
5 Ryan Hall
4 Ash Handley
3 Harry Newman
23 Riley Lumb
16 Morgan Gannon
20 Jack Sinfield
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
9 Andy Ackers
17 Cooper Jenkins
11 James Bentley
12 James McDonnell
10 Keenan Palasia
Subs (all used)
14 Jarrod O’Connor
15 Sam Lisone
19 Tom Holroyd
21 Alfie Edgell
18th man (not used)
22 Tom Nicholson-Watton
Also in 21-man squad
7 Matt Frawley
– Ethan Clark-Wood
– Jack Smith
Tries: Connor (21), Palasia (25), Newman (36), Sinfield (41), Handley (48), Hall (57), Lumb (64)
Goals: Connor 5/7
TIGERS
23 Fletcher Rooney
5 Innes Senior
3 Zac Cini
4 Sam Wood
37 Lee Kershaw
6 Daejarn Asi
1 Tex Hoy
21 Sylvester Namo
9 Liam Horne
10 George Lawler
11 Jeremiah Simbiken
12 Alex Mellor
13 Joe Westerman
Subs (all used)
14 Judah Rimbu
15 George Griffin
20 Muizz Mustapha
26 George Hill
18th man (not used)
17 Luke Hooley
Also in 21-man squad
18 Josh Hodson
24 Josh Simm
35 Dan Okoro
Tries: Rooney (52), Cini (70), Simbiken (75), I Senior (78)
Goals: Hoy 4/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0; 24-0, 28-0, 28-6, 34-6, 38-6, 38-12, 38-18, 38-24
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rhinos: Jake Connor; Tigers: Tex Hoy
Penalty count: 6-2
Half-time: 18-0
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 14,234
