The Leopards Hunt Down The Rhinos
Leigh end Leeds’ 100% home win rate with a 20-16 victory.
This was an incredibly tight fixture, which remained impossible to call across the 80 minutes. It was less than 3 minutes before the first try was scored as Ryan Hall went over in Super League Appearance 417, the tenth most appearances in the league’s history.
In most games at Headingley this season, this strong start would have been a sign of things to come. However, Leigh were having none of this, and surely aware of Hall chasing him for the all-time try-scoring record, Josh Charnley went over at the other end at 6 minutes. Both early tries were converted, leaving the scores level at 6-6.
Scores were again tied at half-time at 14-14, yet Leigh looked stronger and more confident in attack. This was apparent in the way they reached this half-time score with 2 unconverted tries, while Leeds scored the equivalent through one converted try and a penalty following a captain’s challenge. The left winger, Innes Senior scored both of Leigh’s in the far left corner, at 22 and 37 minutes.
Senior’s first try involved him keeping his left foot only a few blades of grass from the touch line. His second was far more comfortable, coming a few tackles after another pacey, quick-stepping gallop from Charnley. A last-ditch tackle on the right winger was commendable but couldn’t prevent the Leopards from effectively shipping across to the left wing and the effective inside-step of Senior.
Leeds’ second, and only, other try of the game came through Croft under the post and occurred between the Senior tries. It was a fabulous take at speed from the stand-off, just behind and above his shoulder. The only points in the second half for the Rhinos came with a penalty in the 45th minute, so a fourth try for Leigh at 56 minutes (converted) proved decisive.
This decisive try was scored by Umyla Hanley but again featured Charnley on the break. After accelerating down the line, and then like all good wingers waiting for the defender to commit, he passed the ball on his inside for Hanley. Hanley ended up man of the match, but it was almost certainly his crucial try-saving tackle on Hall 3 minutes from the end that won him this medal.
In fact, the entirety of Leigh’s team defended impressively, particularly in the last 20 minutes. Even when they found themselves down to 12 men with a yellow card for a football-like tackle on Harry Newman, the visitors were incredibly disciplined on their own line. Up against a switched on wall of defence where no-one flew out of the line unnecessarily, Leeds kept being forced into quick decisions they wouldn’t have wanted to make.
The chaotic attack Leeds ended up adopting appeared to confuse the attack as much as the defence. Unorthodox zigzagging across the pitch, changing hands every however many seconds, and far too often not knowing where the next pass will go, can work sometimes but cannot be the only response to solid defence.
Leeds' tries in the first half involved some brilliant, unorthodox passing under pressure, but this needed to be accompanied with patience and controlled plays in the second half. The Rhinos did this away at Wakefield last week but were unable to at home this week against a strong Leigh side.
To end with the visitors, might we ask if the Leopards are on the ideal trajectory for the Grand Final, in the top 6 and beating the top side with only 4 rounds left of the normal season?
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