engage Super League XIV - Round 13 Review

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Leeds Rhinos made it three wins in eight days as they romped home over local rivals Castleford Tigers at Probiz Coliseum.
The Rhinos welcomed back England captain Jamie Peacock, seven months after he suffered a major knee injury, ironically at the same fixture on this ground last year.

Kallum Watkins opened the scoring on Leeds � first attack into the Tigers twenty. Castleford were unfortunate to have two tries by winger Richie Owen disallowed for marginal forward passes by the ever-dangerous Rangi Chase.

Leeds introduced Peacock and just past the half hour mark the Danny McGuire, playing his second game since his comeback also from a serious knee injury, produced a short pass for Jamie Jones Buchanan who made it 10-0. A Kevin Sinfield penalty gave the visitors a 12 point advantage at the interval.

And any hope of a Tigers fightback was ended 12 minutes into the second half when the impressive Paul McShane got left winger Ryan Hall over.

Victory was sealed when Peacock, just three minutes into his second spell, produced a classic offload from the tackle to get the supporting McGuire over. And that proved to be the first of five Leeds tries in the final quarter.

Rob Burrow collected a Brett Delaney offload to make it 30-0. Joe Arundel managed a consolation on 70 minutes for the Tigers, but this was as good as it got for the hosts as Leeds hit back with three further scores.

McShane burrowed over from dummy half with Ian Kirke and Hall adding the others. So for Cas this was their fourth game without a win as the Rhinos looked back to their old self's.

Leeds Rhinos 48
Tries: Watkins, Jones-Buchanan, Hall 2, McGuire, Burrow, McShane, Kirke
Goals: Sinfield 8
Castleford 6
Tries: Arundel
Goals: Dixon 

Att: 9,860

Catalans Dragons came from behind to edge past Huddersfield Giants at Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan.

The Dragons got off to the best possible start as Danny Brough put the kick off out on the full and seconds later Ian Henderson found David Ferrol who scored the opening try.

Huddersfield got back into the game when Scott Grix's mazy run set-up Lee Gilmour to go over and Brough kicked the extras to level things up.

Luke O'Donnell and Larne Patrick combined to set up Grix as the Giants led 12-6 at the break

The French side had a try disallowed for a knock-on, but drew level as Henderson was the provider again as he laid on a try for Jason Baitieri.

Jermaine McGilvary had a try chalked off and on 71 minutes Scott Dureau slotted over a one-pointer has the Dragons snatched a late win to make it six games unbeaten as the League Leaders suffered a second defeat in their last three games.

Catalan Dragons 13
Tries: Ferriol, Baitieri
Goals: Dureau 2
Drop Goal: Dureau
Huddersfield Giants 12
Tries: Gilmour, Grix
Goals: Brough 2

Att: 7,825
Salford City Reds ran out convincing winners over Harlequins RL at the Stoop.

With both teams in indifferent form, Quins started the better and took the lead after Luke Dorn's floating pass was taken by Mike Burnett.

Young winger Adam Clay got Salford back into the game was he wriggled out of two tackles to score. And on 22 minutes Clay made it a double as the City Reds took the lead.

The visitors upped the ante and took complete control to lead 22-4 at the interval. Wayne Godwin burrowed over from close range, Luke Patten stepped inside after some weak tackling and Chris Nero raced away for the third.

Luke Ambler gave Quins some home but this was short lived as Iafeta Paleaaesina was given a try on the nod of the video referee.

Holdsworth booted a penalty and Vinnie Anderson added a further try, racing clear after intercepting David Howell's loose pass, to wrap the win for Salford.

Chris Melling scored a late consolation for the Londoners, but it was too late as they suffered their seventh loss in eight games.

Salford City Reds 34
Tries: Clay 2, Godwin, Patten, Nero, Paleaaesina, Anderson
Goals: Holdsworth 3
Harlequins RL 16
Tries: Burnett, Ambler, Melling
Goals: Gale 2 

Att: 1,957
Warrington Wolves handed out an 11 try thrashing to Bradford Bulls at Odsal to move top on points difference.
After suffering a home defeat last Monday, Warrington were quickly out of the blocks as a charge down of Marc Herbert's kick by Michael Monaghan led to Louis Anderson open the scoring.

England Centre Ryan Atkins went over from 70 metres after picking up a loose ball, before Anderson made it a double and Michael Monaghan charged down Olivier Elima's kick to cross the line himself as the Wolves began to run riot.

It got even worst for the Bulls as they lost winger Shaun Ainscough and second rower Elima before the break to add to their woes. The latter has a posterior cruciate problem and could be out for the rest of the season.

Matt King scored his first try of 2011 and Joel Monaghan made it 32-0 as the game was over as a contest by half time.

In the second period the Wolves continued their dominance. Brett Hodgson, Atkins, Mickey Higham, Chris Bridge and Lee Briers all got on the scoresheet added as the visitors topped 50 points for the fourth time this year.

Craig Kopczak, Andy Lynch and Elliott Whitehead did manage consolations for the Bulls but they were never in the game.

Warrington Wolves 58
Tries: Anderson 2, Atkins 2, M. Monaghan, King, J. Monaghan, Hodgson, Higham, Bridge, Briers 
Goals: Hodgson 7
Bradford Bulls 14
Tries: Kopczak, Lynch, Whitehead
Goals: Ah Van

Att: 14,134
Wigan Warriors kept up their good run as they romped home against Crusaders in Wrexham.

This game was all over as a contest by the break as Wigan had opened up a 30-0 lead.

Pat Richards got things under way on three minutes as he leaped high to take Brett Finch's cross kick.

Sam Tomkins provided the pass for Josh Charnley to score the visitors second try, before he got on the score sheet himself as Wigan scored three tries in eight minutes, with Thomas Leuluai also going over.

Finch added the Warriors fifth try of the half, with Richards kicking five from five.

Leuluai's run down the left set-up Charnley for his second try three minutes after the restart, before Welsh legend Gareth Thomas gained some consolation for Crusaders as he scored in the corner.

Wigan immediately replied with Michael McIlorum dash from 25 metres. The Welsh side did show some spirit as they hit back with tries for Michael Witt and Stuart Reardon.

Tomkins completed the scoring for Wigan as he ran in from 30 metres to the line to score in the last minute and wrap up an emphatic win.

Wigan Warriors 48
Tries: Charnley 2, Tomkins 2, Richards, Leuluai, Finch, McIlorum 
Goals: Richards 7, O'Loughlin
Crusaders 16
Tries: Thomas, Witt, Reardon
Goals: Schifcofske 2

Att: 5,037
Wakefield Wildcats claimed their fifth win of the season with a late victory over Hull KR at Rapid Solicitors Stadium.

After failing to get on the scoreboard last Monday against Wigan, Wakefield scored early on as Glen Morrison provided the pass for Kyle Amour to crash over the line.

Ben Cockayne took a good pass from Blake Green as Rovers got back into the contest. Mick Dobson added the extras to make it 6-4.

On the twenty minute mark Chris Dean shrugged off Dobson as the Wildcats went into the break with a narrow 8-6 advantage.

In the first ten minutes of the second period Wakefield took control and moved into a 20-6 lead. James Davey started things off before Aaron Murphy scored an eye catching try.

However, Rovers got their act together and seasonally hit back with two tries of their own. Dobson set up Kris Welham while Green sent Cockayne through for his second to reduce the margin to two points.

The comeback was complete as an offload from Scott Wheeldon sent Green in as the visitors led 24-20.

Tommy Lee chipped kick was seized on by Josh Griffin as the Wildcats levelled with just over five minutes remaining. Kerion Hyde missed a difficult chance to put his side ahead but made no mistake when he cooley added the match winning penalty goal after the hooter had sounded.

Wakefield Wildcats 26
Tries: Amor, Dean, Davey, Murphy, Griffin
Goals: Hyde 3
Hull KR 24
Tries: Cockayne 2, Welham, Green
Goals: Dobson 4

Att: 7,283
St Helens came from behind to claim a draw over Hull FC in a thriller at KC Stadium.

Hull on a high after wins over rivals Hull KR an away at Warrington, withstood early pressure from St Helens to dominate the rest of the half.

A brilliant offload from Willie Manu sent in Kirk Yeaman for the opening score of the match. Tom Briscoe picked the ball up from dummy half about 35 meters out and set off on an arcing run to make it 12-0 for the hosts.

It got even better for the Black and Whites as Sam Obst chip over set up a superb team try finished off by Yeaman to make it 18-0.

Just before the break Saints were given some hope when Jamie Foster scored in the corner.

St Helens, who missing a number of key players, came out firing in the second half and pinned Hull in their own twenty. James Roby cut the gap with a smart try from the scrum-base. The lead was down to two when Saints moved the ball out for Ade Gardner to score in the corner.

The comeback was complete for the visitors as Tony Puletua stretched over the line. Foster converted as sensationally St Helens had turned the whole game around by leading 22-18.

However, with just over six minutes left Hull gained some possession and a break by Richard Horne was finished off by Yeaman for his hat-trick.

From the kick off Will Sharp made a mistake and from the drop out Saints were awarded a penalty in which Foster knocked over to level at 24-24.

Both teams missed one pointer opportunities in a frantic finish as the game ended in a thrilling draw.

Hull FC 24 
Tries: Yeaman 3, Briscoe
Goals: Tickle 4
St Helens 24
Tries: Foster, Roby, Gardner, Puletua
Goals: Foster 4

Att: 11,933
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