LEIGH LEOPARDS 30 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 16
DAVE PARKINSON, Leigh Sports Village, Friday

LEIGH LEOPARDS wrapped up third spot in the Super League with a six-try success over Huddersfield Giants, but the hosts had to work hard to eventually shake off their visitors.

The Leopards were quickly on the board after a set restart, Ben McNamara feeding the ball right and Lachlan Lam combined with Gareth O’Brien to get AJ Towse over in the corner.

More pressure headed the visitors way when debutant Lewis Jagger half split the line and lost the ball on the deck. Fortunately for Huddersfield, Josh Charnley spilled an offload from Tesi Nui.

Huddersfield had a spell of pressure but Leigh moved downfield in the 18th minute and scored wide on the left with Bailey Hodgson sending Charnley in at the corner.

Spiritedly, Huddersfield put some play down their left but George Flanagan’s flicked pass was picked off by O’Brien and Lam forced a drop out with a low kick that was tapped out of play by the Giants.

At the other end, Oliver Russell’s kick forced a drop-out and Huddersfield seized on the short kick. Fenton Rogers pushed close but the chance went begging. With ten minutes of the first half remaining, Russell forced another drop out and this time Leigh picked up the pieces.

Huddersfield attacked with width with Russell getting the ball away with a no-look pass between his legs before Flanagan sent Jagger rolling acrobatically into the corner. Flanagan couldn’t convert but the Giants were back in the contest at 8-4.

And the GIants deservedly levelled five minutes into the second-half when Kieran Rush and Flanagan stripped the Leigh defensive line and Jake Bibby finished strongly.

With all eyes on full back Flanagan, he coolly slotted the conversion from wide on the right and the Giants led 8-10.

But Huddersfield fumbled their return set and Leigh made them pay with Hodgson escaping the attempts of three players to crash over the line and O’Brien added his first conversion to make it 14-10.

The momentum had swung once more and Leigh ran a play down the left with Tesi Niu slipping the ball out for O’Brien, but Flanagan tracked across to put the Leopards stand-off in touch in the 52nd minute.

Three minutes later, Lam fed the ball to Frankie Halton and Flanagan again tried all he knew to hold the Leopards second-row up but the try was given on review although O’Brien missed the conversion.

Going into the final quarter, Brad Dwyer burst over from dummy-half and O’Brien converted to extend the Leopards lead, but a short restart saw the Giants come up with possession and Tom Burgess forced his way over for a Flanagan converted try to close things up again at 24-16.

More great defence from the Giants fullback saw Towse lose the ball on the last tackle and it remained a close encounter into the final ten minutes. Leigh lost O’Brien with what looked like a hand injury into the last three minutes, but the Leopards shrugged off his absence to claim another Dwyer try, with McNamara goaling to confirm a further home win ahead of the play-offs.

GAMESTAR: Bailey Hodgson was again impeccable at the back for the Leopards.

GAMEBREAKER: Brad Dwyer’s second try made sure of victory.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Brad Dwyer breaking through for his second try of the game.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Bailey Hodgson (Leigh)
2 pts George Flanagan (Huddersfield)
1 pt Brad Dwyer (Leigh)

MATCHFACTS
LEOPARDS
24 Bailey Hodgson
29 AJ Towse
3 Tesi Niu
4 Umyla Hanley
5 Josh Charnley
6 Gareth O’Brien
7 Lachlan Lam
32 Joe Ofahengaue
22 Ben McNamara
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Frankie Halton
8 Owen Trout
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
14 Aaron Pene
16 Matt Davis
17 Brad Dwyer
12 Jack Hughes
18th man (not used)
15 Alec Tuitavake
Also in 21-man squad
18 Keanan Brand
20 Ethan O’Neill
21 Andy Badrock

Tries: Towse (2), Charnley (22), Hodgson (48), Halton (55), Dwyer (61, 78)
Goals: O’Brien 2/5, McNamara 1/1

GIANTS
29 George Flanagan
38 Lewis Jagger
1 Jacob Gagai
23 Taane Milne
3 Jake Bibby
27 Kieran Rush
36 Oliver Russell
22 Tristan Powell
9 Zach Woolford
10 Tom Burgess
17 Joe Greenwood
13 Harry Rushton
21 Leroy Cudjoe
Subs (all used)
14 Ashton Golding
15 Matty English
16 George King
18 Fenton Rogers
18th man (not used)
37 Marshall Land
Also in 21-man squad
25 Jack Billington
32 Jacob Algar
2 Adam Swift

Tries: Jagger (33), Bibby (45), Burgess (64)
Goals: Flanagan 2/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0, 8-4; 8-10, 14-10, 18-10, 24-10, 24-16, 30-16

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Bailey Hodgson; Giants: George Flanagan

Penalty count: 3-3
Half-time: 8-4
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 8,317