ESL Round 15 Reports - Sunday
Games

Wood inspires Wolves win, Rampant Vikings slay Giants, and Broncos secure comfortable victory.

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Wood inspires Wolves win

A try five minutes from time from Warrington stand-off Nathan Wood sealed a hard-fought 38-30 victory for the Wolves against Wakefield at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

The Wolves were clinging to a two-point lead at 32-30 when Wood threw an outrageous dummy and cut through the Wildcats defence for the decisive score and Chris Bridge landed the conversion to seal the win.

Wakefield had made a dream start and crossed for two tries in the opening nine minutes to take an early 10-0 advantage.

Hooker David March darted over from close range and then winger Semi Tadulala plucked Jamie Rooney's bomb out of the air to touch down with Rooney adding one conversion.

But the Wolves reply was emphatic as they took control with five tries to lead 24-12 at half time.

New Zealand forward Logan Swann touched down twice while Martin Gleeson sprinted 60 metres, after being sent clear by a wonderful pass by Lee Briers, and then Gleeson turned provider when he sent winger Henry Faa?fili over in the corner.

Full-back Brent Grose added to Wakefield's misery with the try of the match when he fielded a kick 10 metres from his own line and then went on a superb 90m run for a spectacular try.

Wakefield again made a superb start to the half and grabbed the lead with three tries in the opening 14 minutes of the second half.

Colum Halpenny scored two minutes after the restart, and was quickly followed by a try from Sam Obst, and with Rooney landing both conversions the scores were level at 24-24.

The Wildcats then regained the lead on 54 minutes when Ben Jefferies touched down but that lead lasted just six minutes when Wood scored for the Wolves and Bridge converted to make it 30-30.

Bridge edged the Wolves in front with a penalty to make it 32-30 before Woods late score sealed the win.

Warrington: Grose, Faa'fili, M. Gleeson, Kohe-Love, Bridge, Briers, N. Wood, Leikvoll, Clarke, Hilton, Swann, Wainwright, Westwood. Replacements: Noone, M. Gleeson, P. Wood, Lima.

Wakefield: M. Field, Halpenny, Demetriou, Domic, Tadulala, Rooney, Jeffries, Griffin, March, Feather, J. Field, Snitch, Spicer. Replacements: Korkidas, Obst, MacGillivray, Elima.

Warrington: (24) 38. Tries: Swann 2, M. Gleeson, Faa'fili, Grose, N. Wood 2. Goals: Bridge 5.

Wakefield: (12) 30. Tries: March, Tadulala, Halpenny, Obst , Jeffries. Goals: Rooney 5.

Referee: Ian Smith (Rotherham) Att: 10,013

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Rampant Vikings slay Giants

An inspired second-half display earned rampant Widnes only their fourth win of the engage Super League season as Huddersfield collapsed to a 40-12 defeat at a sunny Halton Stadium.

After a terrible start to the campaign, Frank Endacott?s side have started to show signs of a mid-term renaissance.

And although the Giants came to the north west as one of the form teams in the division, they had no answer to a barrage of powerful, incisive attacks from the Vikings.

The visitors played their part in an entertaining first half, which ended 12-12, but the Vikings dominated a one-sided second period, with hooker Shane Millard at the forefront of all their attacks.

Winger Gray Viane was the tormentor-in-chief for the hosts, grabbing a hat-trick of tries, with further scores coming from Daniel Frame, Simon Finnigan, Millard and substitute Mark Smith.

Huddersfield had started well, however, and the game was only three minutes old when they scored the opening try.

Eorl Crabtree sent Ben Roarty away with what looked like a forward pass inside his own half and the dextrous loose forward fed Paul March to scamper home under the posts.

Michael De Vere converted, then added a penalty to give his side an 8-0 cushion after just six minutes.

There was no let-up in the game?s breakneck speed and within minutes, Widnes had reduced the deficit.

Owen Craigie fired a flat pass out to Frame, who skirted one challenge, side-stepped full-back Marcus St Hilaire and raced over with a helping push from team-mate Craigie.

A conversion and penalty - both slotted handsomely over by Stephen Myler - levelled the scores in what was already proving to be a tight contest.

The visitors regained the advantage with the simplest of tries in the 20th minute when Chris Thorman passed short for second-row forward Paul Smith to barge over in the right corner.

But with five minutes left in the half, the first handling error of the game allowed the Vikings to restore parity once again.

Viane picked up a loose ball 15 metres from his own line and with Giants? cover nowhere in sight, the jet-heeled winger raced clear and over.

The second period started scrappily but Widnes soon took control and managed to get their noses in front for the first time in the afternoon in the 48th minute.

Giant prop Julian O?Neill broke through some powder-puff defending and laid off to loose forward Finnigan, who evaded a last-ditch tackle to crash over.

Huddersfield were failing to keep possession and they conceded a fourth try moments later when hooker Millard, who had a tremendous game as always, received replacement Smith?s pass to ground.

Both tries were converted, giving the hosts a 12-point lead.

Widnes were unstoppable and after good work by Millard, Finnigan and Sala Fa?alogo, Viane went over for his second try of the match.

The wideman completed his hat-trick - and sewed the game up - after the Giants defence was again cut to shreds on the hour before former Wigan forward Smith got amongst the try-scorers with 15 minutes left.

Widnes: Holmes, Emelio, Fa-alogo, Connolly, Viane, Craigie, Myler, O'Connor, Millard, Stankevitch, Cassidy, Frame, Finnigan. Replacements: J. O'Neill, Mills, J. O'Neill, Smith.

Huddersfield: St Hilaire, O'Hare, Nero, De Vere, Donlan, Thorman, March, Jackson, Drew, Crabtree, Jones, Smith, Roarty. Replacements: White, Gannon, Grayshon, Clayton.

Widnes: (12) 40. Tries: Frame, Viane 3, Finnigan, Millard, Smith. Goals: Myler 6.

Huddersfield: (12) 12. Tries: March, Smith. Goals: De Vere 2.

Referee: R. Laughton (RFU) Att: 5,946

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Broncos secure comfortable victory

London Broncos enjoyed a 12-try, 70-16 victory over rock-bottom Leigh Centurions to record their second win in a week at Griffin Park.

The Broncos, who trailed 10-6 after 10 minutes, ran riot with Rob Purdham (four) and Thomas Leuluai both scoring hat-tricks.

Leigh showed fighting spirit early on but after London established themselves in the first half, there looked no way back for the northerners.

The home side opened the scoring after six minutes when Mark McLinden sent Purdham clear to touch down to score the first of his four.

Leigh pulled back four minutes later, however, with Robbie Mears ducking under Mark Tookey?s tackle to send Phil Jones into the corner and they took the lead three minutes later, John Wilshere taking advantage as the Broncos? defence backed off him to put Ben Cooper over the line.

The Broncos hit back and were ahead after 18 minutes, Leuluai creating a chance from McLinden to jink his way around his marker. Dave Highton scored the Broncos? third try after 21 minutes following a good break by Lee Hopkins.

Then, as Leigh tired, Leuluai was again the outlet as Purdham grabbed his second try after 34 minutes.

He then completed his hat-trick two minutes before the break after picking up a loose ball 30 metres out.

McLinden still had time to score his second try on the stroke of half-time after Hopkins broke through Leigh?s non-existent defences.

The Broncos did not take their foot off the pedal after the break, Leuluai juggling Luke Dorn?s pass before touching down four minutes in.

Purdham took his tally of tries to four two minutes later after McLinden worked an opening.

Leuluai then completed a 15-minute hat-trick with tries nine and 10 as the Broncos passed the half century mark before there was an hour on the clock.

Paul Sykes was next over and Dorn scored the Broncos? 12th try with Highton and Leigh?s Craig Stapleton in the sin-bin after an ugly mass brawl, but the visitors did have the consolation of John Duffy rounding off the scoring with a late try.

London: McLinden, Wells, Sykes, O?Halloran, Bradley-Qalilawa, Dorn, Leuluai, Tookey, Highton, Armour, Purdham, Hopkins, Mbu. Replacements: Mateo, Haumono, Williams, Lolohea.

Leigh: Wilshere, Maden, Cooper, Jones, Feaunati, Kent, J. Duffy, Fleary, Mears, Stevens, Stapleton, King, Leafa. Replacements: Marshall, Rowley, Sturm, Turley.

London: (36) 70. Tries: Purdham 4, McLinden 2, Highton, Leuluai 3, Sykes, Dorn. Goals: Sykes 11.

Leigh: (10) 16. Tries: Jones, Cooper, J. Duffy. Goals: Turley, Cooper.

Referee: Ben Thaler (Wakefield) Att: 3,522

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