LEEDS RHINOS 48 LEIGH LEOPARDS 12
LORRAINE MARSDEN, AMT Headingley, Friday
A MORE convincing second-half performance saw Leeds eventually put Leigh to bed and extend the gap between the top four and the bottom four to three points.
Despite the final score it was Leigh that started brightly and before Leeds had even touched the ball, Toryn Blackwood squeezed in at the corner for an early lead.
Leeds hit back five minutes later when Ebony Stead broke through after gathering Charlotte Melvin’s kick. As the ball was worked upfield, Mel Howard’s short ball put Izzy Northrop through, with Howard’s conversion putting Leeds ahead.
A neat one-two between Ruby Walker and Keara Bennett then extended that lead as the former touched down.
Howard missed the conversion but was on target 15 minutes later after she managed to fool the Leigh defence with a lovely sidestep and walk in under the posts for a try she duly converted.
Leeds were starting to take control now and Walker soon claimed her second of the evening to give the Rhinos a 20-4 lead at the break.
Straight from kick-off Bethan Dainton raced 50 metres to cross under the posts, and when Liv Whitehead went in minutes later the floodgates threatened to open.
But Leigh kept that threat at bay for a time, even crossing themselves for tries through Kate Howard and Mackenzie Taylor.
The dam eventually burst though and the final 20 minutes saw scores from Ruby Bruce, Shannon Brown, Evie Cousins and Sophie Nuttall to complete Leeds’ ten-try haul.
RHINOS: 2 Ebony Stead, 18 Liv Whitehead, 5 Sophie Nuttall, 17 Jenna Greening, 4 Evie Cousins, 6 Mel Howard, 7 Ruby Walker, 10 Izzy Northrop, 9 Keara Bennett, 15 Ella Donnelly, 11 Shannon Brown, 22 Connie Boyd, 13 Bethan Dainton. Subs (all used): 8 Bella Sykes, 14 Ruby Bruce, 21 Grace Short, 27 Jess Sharp
Tries: Northrop (9), Walker (16, 35), Howard (30), Dainton (41), Whitehead (45), Bruce (60), Brown (68), Cousins (75), Nuttall (79); Goals: Howard 4/10
LEOPARDS: 1 Hattie Dogus, 2 Toryn Blackwood, 3 Mackenzie Taylor, 11 Storm Cobain, 28 Abi Johnston, 6 Rhianna Burke, 7 Leah Morris, 8 Eleanor Dainty, 9 Kate Howard, 25 Emily Baggaley, 20 Keli Morris, 12 Charlotte Melvin, 27 Abby Latchford. Subs (all used): 10 Alice Fisher, 16 Lucy Johnson, 30 Maddie Higson, 26 Hannah Roberts
Tries: Blackwood (3), Howard (50), Taylor (54); Goals: Melvin 0/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 10-4, 16-4, 20-4; 26-4, 30-4, 30-8, 30-12, 34-12, 38-12, 44-12, 48-12
Half-time: 20-4