ESL Round 16 - Friday Game
Reports

Leeds too good for brave Hull, and London stun Wigan.

- - - - -

Leeds too good for brave Hull

Leeds? supremacy over Yorkshire rivals Hull continued as a tremendous second-half rally earned the leaders an ultimately comfortable victory 34-14 in the engage Super League at Headingley on Friday evening.

The Rhinos had won their last 10 league and cup games against the Airlie Birds going into the clash but it looked as if that impressive record would be broken as the visitors went into first-half injury time 12-6 up.

But a last-gasp try by Marcus Bai sent Leeds into the interval on level terms.

And inspired by Keith Senior, who grabbed a hat-trick of tries to round off a memorable personal display, Leeds ended up cruising to the win as Hull imploded.

The success extends Leeds? advantage at the top of the league and put to bed their poor showing in defeat against top-of-the-table rivals St Helens a week ago.

The two sides went into the game with the best defences in the league and it showed in the cagey opening stages.

Indeed Leeds had to weather a slight early storm before finally claiming the first score after eight minutes through Senior following a rampaging run by Bai. Kevin Sinfield converted.

Before long, however, they found themselves back on level terms.

After Danny Brough had dragged a penalty wide, Hull notched their first try of the evening through full-back Shaun Briscoe following a rapier-like break through the middle from Richard Horne. Brough converted.

As expected in a clash between two fierce rivals, there were some feisty moments between both sets of players.

And after one such infringement by Leeds captain Sinfield, Hull went in front for the first time in the 27th minute.

This time it was the pacy Brough who made the break and prolific winger Nathan Blacklock was on his shoulder to collect and glide over under the posts. Brough converted.

Briscoe had to be at his covering best to prevent Bai going over on the left flank before, in the half?s last act, the Papua New Guinea international dashed over in the corner following good work again from Senior.

The hosts started the second half brightly and a rapid thrust by replacement Danny McGuire almost led to fellow substitute Ali Lauitiiti going over.

Nevertheless a penalty by scrum-half Paul Cooke put Hull back in front 14-12 after McGuire was found guilty of not releasing in the tackle.

But in a topsy-turvy affair, the Rhinos regained the advantage in the 51st minute when Rob Burrow grounded after Blacklock had fumbled Mark Calderwood?s clever kick under the posts. Sinfield added the extras.

Lauitiiti and Willie Poching were certainly adding a destructive element off the bench as Hull struggled to make any headway.

The decisive moment came in the 62nd minute when Leeds extended their advantage to 10 points following an unexpected up-and-under by prop Ryan Bailey 30 yards out.

Senior was the surprise beneficiary of the bomb, the rampaging Great Britain international rising high to receive before shrugging aside a last-ditch tackle and diving over. The peerless boot of Sinfield converted.

Hull were being overrun by some swashbuckling bursts by the Rhinos and Richie Mathers finished off a free-flowing 65th-minute move involving Sinfield and Gareth Ellis to put the game beyond the visitors reach.

Senior completed his hat-trick after a superb behind-the-back flick from full-back Mathers, with the fiery showdown ending in ignominy following a series of confrontations between both sets of forwards.

There was one last quirky note as Sinfield aimed a penalty shot at goal in the last minute but kicked wide and Burrow touched down for a try. But with the referee having indicated Sinfield would be kicking at goal, the score was disallowed.

Leeds (12) 34. Tries: Senior 3, Bai, Burrow, Mathers. Goals: Sinfield 5.

Hull (12) 14. Tries: Briscoe, Blacklock. Goals: Brough 2, Cooke.

Leeds: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, Senior, Bai, Sinfield, Burrow, Bailey, Dunemann, Ward, McKenna, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis. Replacements: Lauitiiti, Poching, McGuire, McDermott.

Hull: Briscoe, Blacklock, Yeaman, Saxton, Raynor, R. Horne, Cooke, King, Brough, Dowes, G. Horne, Kearney, McMenemy. Replacements: Thackray, Carvell, Dixon, Washbrook.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Dewsbury) Att: 17,427

- - - - -

London stun Wigan

Ian Millward tasted defeat in his first home match as Wigan coach as London recorded a famous engage Super League victory at the JJB Stadium by 22-18.

Millward had got off to a winning start in his new job at Salford last Monday, but the Broncos completed a League double over the Warriors in an end-to-end encounter.

Kiwi scrum-half Thomas Leuluai was an influential figure for the visitors with his impressive kicking game, as Wigan number seven Dennis Moran could not inspire his side to the win against his old club.

Full-back Kris Radlinski had to be alert after only six minutes to halt the progress of London loose forward Mark O?Halloran after a beautiful delayed pass from Leuluai.

And Radlinski was in action at the other end soon after touchdown as Dennis Moran provided the opening.

Danny Tickle goaled for a 6-0 advantage, although the Broncos hit straight back with a try of their own when Mark McLinden forced a pass out of nowhere and Luke Dorn just managed to reach over.

Paul Sykes? conversion levelled it up 6-6 and the visitors led after 17 minutes when Leuluai hoisted a kick into the right hand corner and Nick Bradley-Qalilawa was first to react, collecting it at the second attempt to score, with Sykes again adding the extras.

Wigan were not happy with the awarding of the try as they thought there had been a knock-on in the build-up and they hit back within four minutes when Tickle crashed over after a super short ball from stand-off Kevin Brown.

The game was resembling a basketball match, with both sides taking it in turns to score points, and London extended their lead to 18-10 just before the half hour when Tyrone Smith was first to a Leuluai kick.

Sykes added the easy goal and tagged on a penalty five minutes before half-time for a Wigan indiscretion in the tackle.

The Warriors almost pulled one back a minute before half-time, but Jerry Seuseu was hauled down on the try line by a big hit from Danny Williams.

There was drama on the hooter as Brett Dallas dived in at the corner to reduce the arrears to 20-14 although the hooter had seemed to sound as Brian Carney was stopped on the previous tackle.

Both sides had great chances to score in the second half as the game really picked up in intensity and tempo.

First London?s Dorn raced 80 metres after a Wigan pass was intercepted only for Steve Wild to come up with a superb chase and tackle to bring him down 10 metres short.

Then Brown was denied at the other end when Lee Hopkins came out of nowhere to stop him in his tracks a yard short.

A clever kick from Moran forced a goal-line drop out but London?s defence somehow held out.

The Warriors did break through on the hour though as Wild juggled a pass and reached over in the corner to cut the gap to four points at 22-18.

Wigan almost levelled the scores with 15 minutes remaining when Harrison Hansen was adjudged to have fumbled a Moran kick in the act of scoring.

Led by Terry Newton, Moran and Brown, Wigan threw everything at London in the final 10 minutes but could not find the inspiration to again break through a resolute defence.

Wigan: Radlinski, Carney, Aspinwall, Melling, Dallas, Brown, Moran, Seu Seu, Newton, Hargreaves, Hansen, Wild, Tickle. Replacements: Godwin, Prescott, Guisset, Tomkins.

London: McLinden, Wells, Sykes, Smith, Bradley-Qalilawa, Dorn, Leuluai, Armour, Highton, Trindall, Purdham, Hopkins, O'Halloran. Replacements: Williams, Lolohea, Haumono, Mateo.

Wigan (14) 18. Tries: Radlinski, Tickle, Dallas, Wild. Goals: Tickle.

London (20) 22. Tries: Dorn, Bradley-Qalilawa, Smith. Goals: Sykes 5.

Referee: Karl Kirkpatrick (Warrington) Att: 10,262

- - - - -

Thanks to htwww.superleague.co.uk for more great articles.