ST HELENS 58 LEIGH LEOPARDS 6
(Game abandoned on 62 minutes)
LORRAINE MARSDEN, BrewDog Stadium, Saturday

LEIGH were left counting the costs of a bruising encounter against St Helens with numerous injuries across the matchday squad resulting in the referee calling an early halt to the game with just over an hour played.

The visitors were already struggling for numbers, having only being being able to name two substitutes so when they lost three players in the second half to a HIA, a foot injury and a hand injury – and taking in to account the extreme heat – player welfare was prioritised and the game ended.

By that time the hosts were already 58-6 to the good thanks in part to hat-tricks for both Phoebe Hook and Liv Leach.

After tries from Dani McGifford, converted by Faye Gaskin, and Hook gave Saints a 10-0 lead in as many minutes, Leigh pulled a score back through Lucy Johnson, with Charlotte Melvin adding the goal.

But that was about as good as it got for the Leopards as Saints ran away with the game, with Leach, twice, Hook, Jodie Cunningham, Paige Travis and Vicky Whitfield all scoring before the break. Three more Gaskin conversions made it 40-6 at the break.

With Leigh struggling for numbers early in the second half, Saints continued to dominate with Cunningham, Hook and Leach all going in again for converted tries before the referee made the call to abandon the game.

SAINTS: 23 Liv Leach, 2 Phoebe Hook, 4 Amy Hardcastle, 5 Rachael Woosey, 25 Dani McGifford, 22 Mia Drescher, 7 Faye Gaskin, 11 Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth, 17 Caitlin Casey, 16 Erin McDonald, 14 Paige Travis, 12 Emily Rudge, 13 Jodie Cunningham. Subs (all used) 8 Vicky Whitfield, 9 Katie Mottershead, 28 Jadine McVernon, 31 Anna Dennis

Tries: McGifford (6), Hook (11, 28, 50), Leach (19, 24, 55), Cunningham (34, 47), Travis (37), Whitfield (40); Goals: Gaskin 7/11

LEOPARDS: 1 Hattie Dogus, 26 Steph Gray, 3 Nicole Barnett, 20 Becky Webb, 18 Isabelle Malyon, 6 Rhianna Burke, 22 Millie Bell, 8 Eleanor Dainty, 2 Toryn Blackwood, 16 Lucy Johnson, 11 Emily Baggaley, 12 Charlotte Melvin, 13 Libby Wall. Subs (all used – only two named) 10 Mairead Quinn, 21 Olivia Hill

Tries: Johnson (14); Goals: Melvin 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 10-6, 16-6, 20-6, 24-6, 28-6, 34-6, 40-6; 46-6, 52-6, 58-6

Half-time: 40-6; Referee: Esmai Wright