LEIGH LEOPARDS made it back into the top four of Super League with a comprehensive win over Wakefield Trinity, despite being cut down to 12 men for 53 minutes.
Leigh hit first when Lachlan Lam scythed through a huge hole in the Wakefield defence with the halfback having enough pace to round fullback Max Jowitt. Ben Reynolds, however, couldn’t convert as the Leopards led 4-0 after seven minutes.
It was 10-0 moments later when Robbie Mulhern took a neat Tom Amone pass to canter over from ten metres out after Josh Charnley had been held up. This time Reynolds converted.
Reynolds was in the thick of the action, and, following a big run from debutant David Fifita, a punch to the Wakefield forward’s face saw the Leigh halfback sent off.
And, Leigh were down to 11 men moments later when Nisbet was sinbinned for a hip-drop tackle, but again Trinity couldn’t capitalise as Tom Lineham was first held-up over the line and then knocked-on over it with the Leopards leading 10-0 at the break.
Lam took the game by the scruff of the neck at the start of the second-half. On the last tackle, the PNG halfback delivered a wonderful pass to Leutele, with the ball eventually finding itself to Ipape who ran clear. Zak Hardaker converted for a 16-0 lead.
Hardaker was again on target moments later when Liam Hood took out Leigh’s John Asiata to make it 18-0.
Jack Croft left the field on a stretcher for Wakefield with Leigh rubbing salt into the wounds with another Josh Charnley try on the hour. Hardaker converted expertly from out wide to make it 24-0.
Lam got over the try-line for a deserved score moments later, but Wakefield did finally have a four-pointer to shout about with nine minutes to go when Max Jowitt crossed. Will Dagger couldn’t convert, however, has Leigh took home a 30-4 win.
Wakefield Trinity
1 Max Jowitt
2 Jorge Taufua
15 Liam Kay
38 Jack Croft
5 Tom Lineham
33 Will Dagger
7 Mason Lino
16 Josh Bowden
9 Liam Hood
19 Kevin Proctor
11 Matty Ashurst
31 Sam Hewitt
13 Jay Pitts
Subs (all used)
8 Eddie Battye
14 Jordan Crowther
24 Harry Bowes
40 David Fifita
Also in 21-man squad
18 Lee Kershaw
25 Sam Eseh
29 Joe Law
39 Isaac Shaw
Tries: Jowitt
Goals: Dagger 0/1
Leigh Leopards
17 Gareth O’Brien
2 Tom Briscoe
1 Zak Hardaker
4 Ricky Leutele
5 Josh Charnley
15 Ben Reynolds
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Tom Amone
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
22 Tom Nisbet
16 Oliver Holmes
13 John Asiata
Subs (all used)
6 Joe Mellor
18 Matt Davis
25 Nathan Wilde
27 Ava Seumanufagai
Also in 21-man squad
3 Ed Chamberlain
19 Aaron Smith
23 Jacob Gannon
24 Kai O‘Donnell
Tries: Lam, Mulhern, Ipape, Charnley
Goals: Reynolds 1/2, Hardaker 3/3
Sinbin: Nisbet – hip-drop tackle (29)
Red card: Reynolds – punching (27)
Half-time: 0-10
Referee: Aaron Moore
