BARROW RAIDERS 6 LEEDS RHINOS 46
LORRAINE MARSDEN, Speed Competitions Stadium, Sunday

A FIRST-HALF hat-trick from Liv Whitehead set Leeds on course for a third-straight victory in an eleven-try rout of Barrow.

There was also try doubles for Shannon Brown, Nicole Kennedy and Ebony Stead, in a scoreline that could have been much worse for the hosts had Leeds managed to convert more than just one of the scores.

Whitehead had opened the scoring with Leeds’ first set, but then Barrow took the lead through a try from Jodie Morley, converted by Nicole Stewart.

From then the Rhinos started to dominate and saw further first-half tries from Brown and debutant Amelia Hirst, before Whitehead crossed twice more for her hat-trick to put the visitors 6-20 up at the break.

When Kennedy crossed for a quick-fire double within the first ten minutes of the restart there was no way back for Barrow.

Lucy Murray grabbed Leeds’ eight try of the afternoon, before Stead crossed twice in three minutes just after the hour mark. Brown added the final score of the game nine minutes from time.

Whitehead finally nailed a conversion for Leeds with her first attempt, after Ruby Walker missed the first four and Tally Bryer the following six.

RAIDERS: 1 Sam Norman, 2 Chloe Capstick, 3 Emily Stirzaker, 5 Emma Hutchinson, 19 Blossom Howell, 9 Beth Lindsay, 7 Beth Pattinson, 8 Leah Clough, 14 Leah Cottier, 10 Jodie Morley, 11 Lucy Dickinson, 12 Vanessa Temple, 13 Nicole Stewart. Subs: 15 Jodie Crawford, 16 Mia Dobson, 18 Megan Mayhew-Beach, – Sam Unsworth (not used)

Tries: Morley (12); Goals: Stewart 1/1

RHINOS: 2 Ebony Stead, 25 Amelia Hirst, 15 Connie Boyd, 27 Nicole Kennedy, 5 Liv Whitehead, 18 Tally Bryer, 7 Ruby Walker, 13 Shannon Brown, 9 Keara Bennett, 10 Kaiya Glynn, 11 Lacey Owen, 12 Lucy Murray, 21 Frankie Blakey. Subs (all used): 14 Ruby Bruce, 17 Grace Short, 20 Jess Sharp, 24 Pauliane Wambalu

Tries: Whitehead (3, 28, 38), Brown (20, 71), Hirst (24), Kennedy (45, 48), Murray (61), Stead (64, 66); Goals: Walker 0/4, Bryer 0/6, Whitehead 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 6-8, 6-12, 6-16, 6-20; 6-24, 6-28, 6-32, 6-36, 6-40, 6-46

Half-time: 6-20