FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  

After the closest of finishes to the Saturday of Magic Weekend, Sunday began with a fixture which promised to be more one sides as a Leigh Leopards side on fine form, and having beaten the league leaders last time out, took on the bottom side in Super League, the winless Wakefield Trinity.

Wakefield had been given an eighteen-point start on the handicap coupon and only the most one-eyed of Wakefield supporters would suggest any other outcome than a big Leopards win which would see Leigh up to fourth place in the table, and if the win was by more than twenty-nine points then they would be into third, above near neighbours Wigan.

The expectation was of one-way traffic, Wakefield needed a miracle.

The coach’s lad opened the scoring when Lachlan Lam showed the Trinity chasers a clean pair of heels as he sprinted forty metres to dot down in the corner. Ben Reynolds was unable to add the conversion from wide, but the Leopards were up and running.

Josh Charnley had a try denied on twelve as the video referee decided that the referee had blown his whistle before he forced the ball to the ground. But three plays later Rob Mulhern took a short flat pass from Tom Amone to go through the Trinity line and jog over from fifteen metres. Reynolds hit the target for a 10-0 lead, Wakefield already with a mountain to climb.

On twenty-six Ben Reynolds got involved in an altercation with David Fifita and threw a punch which saw the Leigh man sent off, Leigh down to twelve for the rest of the game and without their first-choice kicker. To add to Leigh’s problems, Tom Nisbet was yellow carded on twenty-eight for a dangerous tackle, Leigh now down to eleven men until just before half time.

Two minutes before the interval Wakefield appeared to have opened their account but after the decision was sent to the video referee, he ruled that Tom Lineham knocked on in the act of scoring, Leigh taking a 10-0 interval into the break.

The twelve men extended their lead on forty-seven, Edwin Ipape completing a move started by Lam after the ball went through three pairs of hands before the hooker went in from fifteen metres out. Zak Hardaker took the conversion and hit the target for 16-0.

Hardaker added a penalty goal after a late hit on fifty-two to extend the lead to three converted tries.

There was a long break in play on fifty-eight as Wakefield’s Jack Croft was treated for an injury and helped from the field on a stretcher.

Any hopes of a Wakefield fightback were crushed on the hour mark when Josh Charnley took a Leutele fast pass to walk past Lineham for a simple try. Hardaker added the touchline conversion for 24-0, Trinity facing another nilling in the most awful of seasons.

The important fifth try from Leigh came on sixty-six, Lam taking a difficult pass and evading four Trinity tacklers to score from ten metres out. Hardaker added the conversion and as the live score stood it was enough to take Leigh above Wigan and into third spot in the table.

Nine minutes from time, Max Jowitt took a pass, stepped inside and scored from ten metres out to finally get some consolation for Trinity and avoid another zero. The kick was missed from wide, Leigh taking the win by 30-4.

Wakefield Trinity recorded a fourteenth consecutive loss of a dour 2023 season, to a side with a man down for fifty minutes after Reynolds sending off. Leigh are sending out a, loud and clear, message to the rest of Super League as they go into fourth spot in the table at the midway point of the season, and that message is that they are true contenders for top honours in 2023.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt (T), Lineham, Croft, Kay, Taufua, Dagger, Lino, Proctor, Hood, Bowden, Hewitt, Ashurst, Pitts. Subs: Crowther, Bowes, Battye, Fifita. 18th Man: Eseh.

Leigh Leopards: O’Brien, Briscoe, Leutele, Hardaker (4G), Charnley (T), Reynolds (G, SO on 26), Lam (2T), Amone, Ipape (T), Mulhern (T), Holmes, Nisbet (SB on 29), Asiata.  Subs: Mellor, Seumanufagai, Wildie, Davis. 18th Man: Chamberlain.

Half-Time: 0-10.

Full-Time: 4-30.

Score Progression: 0-4, 0-8, 0-10, (SO), (SB) : HT: 0-14, 0-16, 0-18, 0-22, 0-24, 0-28, 0-30, 4-30 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Leigh.

Referee: Aaron Moore.



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sun 4th Jun 2023 2:02 PM | Views : 4499 | Replies : 1 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
7m
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
boardwalkemp
137
50m
New Super League shirts in time for Christmas
Deadcowboys1
115
55m
Game - Song Titles
Boss Hog
34290
60m
York - 14th April
Spookisback
10
Recent
BORED The Band Name Game
Boss Hog
56011
Recent
Other Championship Clubs
FOREVERTRIN
98
Recent
Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE
RobRiches
1934
Recent
Rd 6 I Cas A
Sir Gregory
107
Recent
Smith - should he stay or should he go
Dave K.
357
Recent
Fevround 2
Trojan Horse
91
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
1m
Challenge Cup
stpatricks
37
1m
Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE
RobRiches
1934
1m
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
1m
TV games not Wire
Wanderer
2863
2m
Smith - should he stay or should he go
Dave K.
357
2m
New Super League shirts in time for Christmas
Deadcowboys1
115
4m
Shopping list for 2025
Tarquin Fueg
405
5m
TV Games - Not Hull
Chris71
1385
7m
Squad for Catalan
Smiffy27
17
12m
Smith out ASAP
Backwoodsman
138
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
York - 14th April
Spookisback
10
TODAY
Stats article
Sir Gregory
5
TODAY
21 man Squads - Devils v Leopards
Cokey
4
TODAY
Squad for Catalan
Smiffy27
17
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
TODAY
Saints a
WWste
23
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
Fartown58
6
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
27
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhino..
89
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
530
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
654
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
570
Warrington Demolish London For..
678
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
722
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
701
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
949
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
919
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1062
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1036
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1100
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1077
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3857
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1196
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist