Engage Super League XVI Round 11 Review

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Leeds Rhinos came from behind to claim a hard fought win over Bradford Bulls at Odsal.

With both teams coming into this game on indifferent form, it was the Bulls who made the better start. Mark Herbert's kick to the corner was taken by Patrick Au Van to open the scoring out wide. Shortly after the kick off Bradford made their way into Leeds' twenty and from close range skipper Andy Lynch crashed over the line and with Au Van adding the extras the hosts took an early 10-0 lead.

Paul McShane got Leeds back into the game as he burrowed his way over from dummy half. Just before the break the Rhinos got the ball out wide and Jamie Jones Buchanan scored in the corner to level at 10-10. Just on half time Au Van slotted over a penalty as the Bulls took a narrow 12-10 lead.

Seven minutes into the second half Bradford's pressure told and Oliver Elima went over for an unconverted try to regain the lead.

However, the Rhinos turned things round with two quick-fire tries. Brent Webb and Rob Burrow combined to send in veteran centre Keith Senior. Then on his 100 appearance for Leeds, prolific winger Ryan Hall scored his 83rd try of his career to make it 22-16 in the visitors favour.

But in this see-saw game Elima bulldozed over to level, with Au Van adding the extras.

Within five minutes, Sinfield's penalty had put Leeds back in front. On 79 minutes, ex Knights legend Danny Buderus went under the posts to seal a much needed win for the Rhinos as they ended their three match loosing run.

Bradford Bulls 22 (Ah Van, Lynch, Elima 2 tries; Ah Van 3 goals) lost to Leeds Rhinos 30 (McShane, Jones-Buchanan, Senior, Hall, Buderus tries; Sinfield 5 goals)

Att: 19,275


Hull FC claimed bragging rights as they defeated city rivals Hull KR at KC Stadium.

This game came alive early on as on three minutes Tom Briscoe made a break and in support was Kirk Yeaman as Hull FC took the lead five minutes later Rovers got back on terms as Matt Cook waltzed through to score.

Sean Long's clever dummy allowed him to burrow over for his first try of the season and restore the home lead, only for Kris Welham, fed by the returning Michael Dobson who was in the side after Willie Mason was deregistered, levelled for Hull KR.

Just before the break Martin Gleeson, who was making his debut after signing from Wigan, touchdown in the corner as the Black and Whites took the lead 16-12.

Rovers came out strong in the second half but their third quarter dominance went unrewarded and on 64 minutes Richard Whiting squeeze over in the corner as the hosts extended their advantage to 22-12

Ben Cockayne jinked his way over on 71 to give Rovers some hope but this was as close as they got as Hull FC won the game with two tries in the last five minutes of the match.

Willie Manu dragged four defenders with him to the line, found an offload that sent Yeaman in for his second, before Briscoe scored on the hooter as FC handed an eighth defeat in 11 games to their closest rivals.

Hull FC 36 (Yeaman 2, Long, Gleeson, Whiting, Briscoe tries; Tickle 6 goals) def. Hull KR 18 (Cook, Welham, Cockayne tries; Dobson 3 goals)

Att: 19,754

Wigan Warriors snatched a dramatic win over St Helens on the bell in pulsating match at a sold out DW Stadium.

Saints came into this game as the form team of Super League with a five game winning streak, but ravaged by injury, and although they opened up a 10-0 lead through tries by Michael Shenton and Jamie Foster, their problems grew when they lost Paul Wellens and Gary Wheeler in the first half hour.

Joel and Sam Tomkins were both involved in the build-up to Wigan's opening try, Josh Charnley going over after a neat reverse pass to cut the gap at half time to 10-4.

Shortly after the restart Pat Richards claimed his first score of the season and it got even better for Wigan as the Tompkins brother were at it again to send in Charnley for his second. George Carmont created Richards second try as the Warriors took a comfortable 22-10 advantage.

However, Saints had other ideas and hit back Francis Meli set up Foster's second try, which he converted himself from the touchline, and teenager Tommy Makinson's first senior try gave Foster the chance to convert and draw his team level, which he duly did.

With seven minutes remaining Foster's penalty looked to have won it for St Helens as they led 24-22, but in a dramatic final minute of the game Liam Farrell found a gap in the defence to dive over from close range, and Richards rounded off the victory with a conversion, their first home win against Saints since 2007.

Wigan Warriors 28 (Charnley 2, Richards 2, Farrell tries; Richards 4 goals) def St Helens 24 (Shenton, Foster 2, Makinson tries; Foster 4 goals)

Att: 24,057

Bottom of the table Crusaders ran out easy shock winners over Super League leaders Huddersfield Giants at Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.

Both teams came into this game with different form Huddersfield were in buoyant mood after defeating Leeds Rhinos at Headingley last week and for Crusaders they were on a downer as being flogged at Warrington last Sunday.

But, the Giants preparation got off to the worst start as they were delayed in arriving at the ground which resulted in a late kick-off.

Crusaders made the most of this and by half-time they had a communing 20-0 lead. Jason Chan got things underway with the opening try. Michael Witt was sent to the sin-bin for talking back to referee Steve Ganson, but Rhys Hanbury went over for the hosts second score.

Clinton Schifcofske went past a couple of tackles to touch down, and then Hep Cahill went over on the left wing to ensure the Welsh side were cheered off the field at the interval.

Danny Brough gave the Giants some hope by scoring early into the second period but this was short lived as two further tries wrapped up a deserved win for Crusaders.

Vince Mellars put Jordan Tansey clear before Stuart Reardon had the final say in the game as Crusaders knocked Huddersfield off the top of the league.

Crusaders 32 (Chan, Hanbury, Schifcofske, Cahill, Tansey, Reardon tries; Schifcofske 4 goals) def. Huddersfield Giants 6 (Brough try, goal)

Att: 3,008

Catalan Dragons made it four wins on the spin as they edged past Harlequins RL at Twickenham Stoop.
In form Catalan started the better and took the lead as halfback Scott Dureau raced away to score.

Quins soon got back on terms when Andy Ellis' miss pass found Jamie O'Callaghan, who then darted over in the corner. Luke Gale added the extras.

Dureau snatched a loose pass and ran the length of the field to put Catalan back in front.

Dragons added a further score when Ben Farrar cut through before offloading to Eloi Pelissier, who crashed over under the stick. Jason Baitieri strolled over to make it 22-6 at the break in favour of the French outfit.

Harlequins needed to score first after the break and they did as Tony Clubb setup Luke Gale for a clear run to the line.

But again, poor defending allowed Catalan to capitalise as Steve Menzies waltzed through before offloading to Cyril Stacul to give the visitors a 28-12 lead.

Two tries in the space of four minutes brought the Londoners back into the game. Ellis burrowed over from dummy half before Karl Pryce rode four tackles as he powered his way to the line. The fightback was completed when Dureau was sin-binned and the one-man advantage counted as Randall burst home to put Quins in front for the first time 30-28.

However they failed to secure a win for the sixth consecutive game as Greg Mounis levelled with a penalty before Dureau's drop-goal nudged the Catalan ahead and the game was won with a late try from Stacul.

Harlequins RL 30 (O'Callaghan, Gale, Ellis, Pryce, Randall tries; Gales 5 goals) lost to Catalan Dragons 37 (Dureau 2, Pelissier, Baitieri, Stacul 2 tries; Dureau 5, Mounis 1 goals; Dureau field goal)

Att: 2,069

Warrington Wolves took Salford City Reds to the cleaners as they romped home at The Willows.

Lee Briers started Warrington on their way as he sent in Ryan Atkins for the opening score. Richard Myler, who later went off with a suspected fractured cheekbone, then pounced on Brett Hodgson's chip for the second score of the game

Before the half was out Briers waltzed around Adam Sidlow to make it 18-0 at the break.

Salford, who yesterday announced that Coach Shaun McRae would leave the club at the end of the season, fell apart in the second half as the Wolves hit them with 42 unanswered points.

Chris Bridge crossed early on before the City Reds were reduced to 12 men when Luke Adamson was sin-binned after a flare-up. Carvell ploughed over before Salford still a man down, conceded another as Briers regathered his own kick to make it 36-0.

As the hosts collapsed Joel Monaghan helped himself to a try with the other scored coming from a brace for Rhys Williams and Paul Wood put Salford out of their misery with try number 10.

Hodgson kept up his 100% record by adding the extras as the Wolves moved to the summit of Super League.

Salford City Reds 0 lost to Warrington Wolves 60 (Atkins, Myler, Briers 2, Bridge, Carvell, J Monaghan, Williams 2, Wood tries; Hodgson 10/10 goals)

Att: 7,496

Wakefield Wildcats came back from the dead as they stunned local rivals Castleford Tigers at Probiz Coliseum.

The hosts made a great start as they hit the Wildcats with two tries early on. Richard Owen combined well with Richard Mathers for the first on the left and Martin Aspinwall was then judged to have grounded the ball for the second - even though it appeared he had been held up by several Wakefield players.

Chris Dean got Wakefield on the scoreboard as he leaped high to take Tommy Lee's kick for an easy score.

Castleford increased the lead to 18-6 at the break as Danny Orr and Rangi Chase combined to send Joe Arundel into space and his quick hands allowed Jordan Thompson to dive in right at the stroke of half time.

Early into the second half Danny Orr looked to have secured a home win as he made it 24-4.

However, you could not have predicted what was going to unfold. Kieran Hyde exploited a hole in the Cas line and Josh Griffin added the first of his four conversions.

The high kick paid dividends again as Griffin latched on to Hyde's punt to touch down.

Paul Johnson made even more interesting for the Wildcats as he scored underneath the posts and the stunning four try comeback in sixteen minutes was completed by Frankie Mariano as both supporters could not believe what they were seeing.

Cas threw everything as Wakefield but they came up short as the Wildcats held on for a most unlikely win.

Castleford Tigers 24 (Mathers, Aspinwall, Thompson, Orr tries; Dixon 4 goals) lost to Wakefield Wildcats 28 (Dean, Hyde, Johnson, Griffin, Mariano tries; Griffin 4 goals)

Att: 9,020
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