After claiming the scalp of the Salford Red Devils in the last round, the Leigh Centurions had their sights set firmly on the Leeds Rhinos as the two sides met in the quarter finals at Post Office Road in Featherstone due to the Headingley being unavailable due to the ongoing England test match against Pakistan.
The Rhinos had a number of stars returning to a side who well beaten in the south of France last weekend including old heads Carl Ablett and Anthony Mullally. Leigh also lost last weekend, by the narrowest of margins, in an ill tempered game with the Toronoto Wolfpack.
The Rhinos were ironed on favourites, but the beauty of the cup is its unpredictability.
A great start from the Centurions saw them score the opener on four minutes when Nathan Mason pushed his way over the line and was allowed to ground despite being wrapped up by three Rhinos tacklers. Ben Reynolds added the conversion for 6-0. If they hadn’t been before, the Rhinos were now painfully that this was going to be a battle
After Peter Mata’utia had failed to collect a high kick Parcell picked up the loose ball and as Mata’utia lifted Parcell he dumped him on his head and referee Chris Kendall showed him the red card. Leigh would have to play seventy minutes with twelve men.
From the resulting penalty Tom Briscoe ghosted his way past a shell shocked Centurions defence and went over for the Rhinos opener. Jordan Lilley was unable to add the extras and the Rhinos trailed by two.
On fifteen Briscoe was in for his second after coming in off the wing to step past the cover tackle and spin over the line to ground at the end of a cross field passing move. Lilley was able to add the extras from wide for 10-6.
A beautiful Jack Walker fifty metre solo try on twenty, saw the Rhinos full back push out of a tackle and weave through the broken defence to go in under the crossbar and give Lilley a simple conversion for 16-6.
On twenty-two Walker made another break and this time found Ash Handley in support to go the last twenty-feve metres for another try close to the sticks. Lilley was again accurate with the boot and the Rhinos were pulling clear of the Championship side who seemed to have no response.
On twenty-four it was Jimmy Keinhorst’s turn to score but at some cost as the the Rhinos centre appeared to pull a hanstring as he took a Richie Myler pass to limp twenty metres to score. Lilley again converted.
Three minutes later, Ashton Golding added his name to the Rhinos scorers list after taking a Walker pass to again go in under the uprights. Lilleys conversion made it 34-6 after twenty-eight minutes.
On the half hour Drew Hutchinson dummied the pass, juggled the ball, and went through the Rhinos defence for Leighs second. Reynolds nailed the conversion for 12-36.
On thirty-six Myler was the beneficiary of another Walker break as he took the pass and went under the sticks from ten metres out. Lilley kicked his sixth goal of the night for 40-12 to the Rhinos.
The first try of the second half came on forty-seven after a Stevie Ward break got the Rhinos close and three plays later Cameron Smith bust one tackle and dropped over the ground under the second. Lilley added the conversion for 46-12.
Jordan Lilley added a penalty on the hour mark for 48-12 but the game was petering out.
On sixty-three Ben Crooks picked up a low kick through as two Leeds defenders made a real mess of picking up the ball and he stepped out of the tackle to walk ten metres to score in the corner, leaving Jack Walker laying prostrate on the ground. Reynolds missed the conversion, Leigh still over thirty adrift.
On seventy-two Liam Hood went under the Leeds defence from acting half-back to score the fourth Centurions try of the night. Reynolds added the conversion for 22-48.
Jamie Acton was sin-binned on seventy-four for an incident inthe scrum and was followed by Brett Ferres as the referees patience ran out.
Two minutes from the final hooter Adam Cuthbertson took a Handley pass after a Lilley break to cross for the Rhinos ninth try. Matty Dawson-Jones said too much to the referee and was red-carded for his pains. Lilley failed to add the extras but the Rhinos had a 52-22 win.
The game was over as a contest as soon as Mata’utai had a rush of blood and dumped Leigh still reeled the Rhinos ran in enough points to seal an easy win and then they cruised to the final whistle. There was plenty of niggle which caused referee Kendall to brandish four cards, three in the direction of Leigh players.
The Rhinos are in the hat for the semi-finals but all credit to the Centurions for their second half performance which saw them run the Rhinos close in the closing forty. Probably one to forget unless you are on the RFL disciplinary, who are likely to be looking far more closely at the game over the weekend.
Rhinos: Walker (T), Briscoe (2T), Keinhorst (T), Handley (T), Hall, Lilley (8G), Myler (T), Cuthbertson (T), Parcell, Oledzki, Ferres (SB on 74), Ward, Ablett. Subs: Mullally, Smith (T), Walters, Golding (T).
Centurions: Mata’utia (SO on 9), Dawson-Jones (SO on 78), Crooks (T), Hall, Evans, Reynolds (3G), Hutchison (T), Acton (SB on 74), Hood (T), Mason (T), Hansen, Thompson B, Thompson J. Subs: Baldwinson, Larroyer, Richards, Higham.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
Half-Time: 40-12.
Full-Time: 52-22.
Attendance: .
