Leeds Rhinos off to a winning start against Leigh Leopards

LEEDS RHINOS 46 LEIGH LEOPARDS 4
LORRAINE MARSDEN, AMT Headingley, Saturday

A 16-POINT haul from Australian recruit Mel Howard ensured Leeds got their Challenge Cup campaign off to a winning start against newly-promoted Leigh.

The former State of Origin halfback scored two tries and four goals as Leeds put in a dominant display against the Leopards.

When these two sides met in the first Cup game of the season twelve months ago the Rhinos ran out 52-4 at Leigh, but with multiple departures and injuries at Headingley, only Liv Whitehead, Izzy Northrop, Lucy Murray and Ella Donnelly remained in the team from that last meeting.

However they did welcome back Elle Frain on the bench after missing all of 2024 with an ACL injury, while vice-captain Shannon Lacey also made her long awaited comeback from an ankle and leg injury initially sustained in the 2022 Grand Final.

Leigh were also much changed, but came into the fixture as a Super League outfit following three straight Grand Final wins at the end of last season to secure promotion.

With the two new-look sides finding their feet in the opening moments it was Leeds that struck first when Sophie Nuttall squeezed in down the left, then when Keara Bennett found a gap in the Leigh defence to cross it certainly looked like the Rhinos adapted to the changes much quicker.

A powerful try from Murray and break from Ruby Walker to go in under the sticks, plus Walker’s first successful conversion, put Leeds 18-0 up inside a quarter of an hour and another big Rhinos win already looked to be on the cards.

Leigh tried their best but strong Leeds defence kept them out when Liv Whitehead and Jenna Greening bundled them into touch in their first real attack.

In what was a potentially a crucial points swing, Leeds ramped up the pressure once again and when Murray made a break from inside their own half there was no stopping her going in for her second. Howard took over kicking duties to convert from in front of the posts.

Leeds could have had one more before the break, after a well-worked move saw them take the ball down the right, but Greening’s final pass to Whitehead went to ground and it remained 24-0 at the break.

Uncharacteristic errors from Leeds in the opening five minutes of the second half allowed Leigh some much needed field position but they were unable to find a way through, and when the ball then found its way into the hands of Evie Cousins, there was no stopping the Leeds centre.

She broke through the Leigh defence to go the length of the field and touch down under the posts, giving Howard another easy conversion.

Despite the game now being away from them, Leigh kept pressing and finally got their reward when Lucy Johnson forced her way over the line for an unconverted score.

But that was as good as it got for Leigh with Howard being on the end of two breaks to score twice on a memorable debut.

The final ten minutes saw Donnelly add a further Leeds try as the Rhinos fell just short of last year’s winning margin.

GAMESTAR: Mel Howard had a debut to remember.

GAMEBREAKER: Evie Cousins’ try after a spell of Leigh pressure at the start of the second half, put the boot into the visitors and left them with too much to do to get back in the game.

MATCHFACTS
RHINOS
2 Ebony Stead
18 Liv Whitehead
17 Jenna Greening
4 Evie Cousins
5 Sophie Nuttall
6 Mel Howard
7 Ruby Walker
10 Izzy Northrop
9 Keara Bennett
16 Kaiya Glynn
11 Shannon Lacey
12 Lucy Murray
15 Ella Donnelly
Subs (all used)
14 Ruby Bruce
22 Connie Boyd
20 Elle Frain
21 Grace Short

Tries: Nuttall (5), Bennett (7), Murray (10, 24), Walker (14), Cousins (45), Howard (60, 65), Donnelly (72)
Goals: Walker 1/5, Howard 4/4

LEOPARDS
5 Becky Greenfield
2 Toryn Blackwood
3 Mackenzie Taylor
4 Mollie Young
28 Abi Johnston
6 Rhianna Burke
7 Leah Morris
25 Emily Baggaley
30 Maddie Higson
8 Eleanor Dainty
11 Storm Cobain
17 Claire Collins
27 Abby Latchford
Subs (all used)
15 Sam Brazier
14 Abi Gordon
16 Lucy Johnson
31 Macy McDermott