LEIGH LEOPARDS thrashed St Helens, 46-4 at the Leigh Sports Village tonight.
Things couldn’t have started any worse for Saints as Jack Welsby limped off the field with just three minutes gone, clutching his leg following a stellar break.
If it doesn’t rain it pours for Saints at present and Mark Percival was sinbinned for contact off the ball on Moylan as Leigh looked to launch an attack.
The Leopards duly punished their opponents in the next set as Umyla Hanley exploited the space left by Percival to crash over. Darnell McIntosh converted to make it 6-0 after 18 minutes.
Two successive penalties later and the Leopards were over again, Tom Amone powering through under the posts. McIntosh couldn’t miss as Leigh led 12-0.
It was Moylan’s kick this time that had Saints scrambling just three minutes later with Waqa Blake dropping the pinpoint chip right into McIntosh’s arms. And the winger converted to make it an incredible 18-0 after 28 minutes.
A fifth penalty conceded by Saints in just half an hour allowed McIntosh the chance to slot over two more points for a 20-0 lead.
The horror show continued for the visitors, with Leigh and McIntosh once more carving up Saints’ defence before the ball was swung out wide to the left for Kai O’Donnell to reach out on the hooter. McIntosh couldn’t convert but the Leopards led 24-0 at the break.
HALF-TIME: LEIGH LEOPARDS 24-0 ST HELENS
It took Saints just seven minutes to reply, with McIntosh losing a floated Lam pass as Robertson streaked away, weaving past four men before kicking to the corner for the gleeful Ben Davies to dot down for a scintillating score. Percival couldn’t convert, however, with the Leopards still leading 24-4.
But that seemed to just stem the inevitable, and, following a brilliant Josh Charnley break and subsequent drop-out, Gareth O’Brien was hit late by Jonny Lomax as Saints were down to 12 men once more.
John Asiata bombed another try, but it was only a matter of time before the dam broke and yet another remarkable Leigh break ended with Charnley crashing over off a short Lam pass. McIntosh converted to make it 30-4.
The rout didn’t end there, though, with Lam and the Leopards keeping their best try of the night for 65 minutes as the halfback took a superb Moylan short ball to sprint through and step fullback Robertson. McIntosh sent the Leopards up 36-4 with his boot.
It was Moylan’s turn to go from provider to scorer moments later, receiving a magnificent Jack Hughes offload to notch up Leigh’s seventh effort. McIntosh was wayward with his extras, but Leigh still led 40-4.
Neither Amone nor Moylan finished the game due to head and rib injuries respectively as 18th man Louis Brogan was called in, but even that didn’t stop the Leopards registering another four-pointer at the end, Charnley flying in at the corner in trademark fashion. McIntosh converted to round off the scoring at 46-4.
In losing five games in a row, Saints broke a record, having never lost five successive fixtures in the Super League era.
Leigh Leopards
6 Matt Moylan
5 Josh Charnley
4 Ricky Leutele
24 Umyla Hanley
34 Darnell McIntosh
1 Gareth O’Brien
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Tom Amone
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Kai O’Donnell
16 Frankie Halton
13 John Asiata
Substitutes
12 Jack Hughes
17 Owen Trout
33 Brad Dwyer
35 Aaron Pene
Tries: Hanley (17), Amone (24), McIntosh (27), O’Donnell (40), Charnley (60, 80), Lam (65), Moylan (69)
Goals: McIntosh 7/9
St Helens
33 Harry Robertson
2 Tommy Makinson
21 Ben Davies
4 Mark Percival
3 Waqa Blake
1 Jack Welsby
6 Jonny Lomax
20 George Delaney
9 Daryl Clark
10 Matty Lees
16 Curtis Sironen
15 James Bell
17 Agnatius Paasi
Substitutes
14 Moses Mbye
19 Matt Whitley
30 Jonny Vaughan
31 Noah Stephens
Tries: Davies (47)
Goals: Percival 0/1
Sinbin: Percival (16) – off the ball, Lomax (54) – late tackle
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