LEIGH LEOPARDS 10 LEEDS RHINOS 40
LORRAINE MARSDEN, Leigh Sports Village, Sunday
LUCY MURRAY followed up last week’s hat-trick with another two tries as Leeds raced to victory over Leigh.
The Rhinos opened the scoring after just five minutes when neat work kept the ball alive on the last before Tally Bryer found a gap in the right corner to dive over.
Australian Mel Howard missed the conversion from out wide, but was on target for each of Leeds’ other six tries.
Murray’s first on 15 minutes extended the visitors’ lead further, before Leigh hit back through Mackenzie Taylor.
But a long-range effort from Ebony Stead, followed by Ruby Bruce going over from dummy-half, gave the Rhinos a 22-4 lead at the break.
The hosts scored first after the restart through a Kate Howard try converted by Charlotte Melvin, but the remainder of the half was all Leeds.
A neat one-two between Mel Howard and Bella Sykes saw the former break the line and score under the posts, and ten minutes later Murray split the Leigh defence in two to grab her second.
The final act of the afternoon came as Sophie Nuttall scored in the left corner, with Howard adding the goal as the hooter sounded.
LEOPARDS: 1 Hattie Dogus, 28 Abi Johnston, 3 Mackenzie Taylor, 4 Mollie Young, 22 Freya Turner, 6 Rhianna Burke, 7 Leah Morris, 10 Alice Fisher, 9 Kate Howard, 16 Lucy Johnson, – Alyx Bridge, 12 Charlotte Melvin, 11 Storm Cobain. Subs (all used): – Katie Palmer, – Charlotte Meredith, – Alisha Lawrence, 5 Becky Greenfield.
Tries: M Taylor (25), Howard (45); Goals: Melvin 1/2
RHINOS: 2 Ebony Stead, 18 Liv Whitehead, 4 Evie Cousins, 5 Sophie Nuttall, 24 Tally Bryer, 6 Mel Howard, 7 Ruby Walker, 15 Ella Donnelly, 14 Ruby Bruce, 16 Kaiya Glynn, 11 Shannon Brown, 12 Lucy Murray, 8 Bella Sykes. Subs (all used): 17 Jenna Greening, 20 Elle Frain, 21 Grace Short, 23 Frankie Blakey
Tries: Bryer (5), Murray (19, 61), Stead (30), Bruce (36), Howard (52), Nuttall (80); Goals: Howard 6/7
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 4-10, 4-16, 4-22; 10-22, 10-28, 10-34, 10-40
Half-time: 4-22