2006 Season Reports: WHITEHAVEN 32 LEIGH 22

Whitehaven 32 Leigh 22 By Dave Parkinson

The Centurions blew a 16-0 half-time lead at the Recreation Ground as Leroy Joe inspired ‘Haven turned the game around in the second half. John Duffy and Steve Maden, playing against Leigh for the first time since their close season moves, were also well to the fore as home winger Craig Calvert scored three tries.

Leigh got away to a flier when Duffy’s intended pass for former Centurion Mark Leafa was spilled. Danny Halliwell scooped up and raced 80 metres to the line. Mick Govin converted and the Centurions led 6-0 after just two minutes.

The opening exchanges were fierce with Haven’s Marc Jackson seemingly on a one man mission to get himself sent off following a running battle with former Recreation Ground favourite Warren Stevens and Centurions skipper Paul Rowley. Stevens was placed on report early on for a high tackle on Duffy.

Minutes after scoring, Halliewell was sinbinned by the referee after a short confrontation with Maden and for nearly half an hour there was little to write about, bar a couple of elusive runs from Haven veteran David Seeds and a line break from Govin. An ugly looking tackle after 12 minutes saw Scott Grix helped from the field. The fullback played no further part in the game and Leigh were forced to shuffle things around with Dean Gaskell moving to fullback and Gary Sykes to the wing.

Bryn Hargreaves appeared from the bench to make a solid debut while Dana Wilson was perhaps the pick of the Centurions forwards during his two spells on the field.

Govin missed with a 19th minute penalty attempt but Leigh did increase their lead with a second try after 29 minutes when Govin cleverly released Carl Forber through the smallest of holes and the former Saints starlet crossed for his 12th try of the season. Govin couldn’t convert but the halfback was on target three minutes later after Aaron Heremaia carved open the defence for Halliwell to put top scorer Lee Greenwood in for his 19th score of the campaign.

The Centurions went to the break with the handy advantage but not before Govin, Jackson and Carl Sice were all yellow carded for an altercation.

Despite starting the second half two men down, it was Whitehaven that looked more clued up.With Duffy and Joe using the breeze to good effect, the pair made it very difficult for whoever switched to Leigh’s right wing.

Within eleven minutes of the restart, Haven were on level terms with former BARLA international Calvert scoring two tries and Duffy another from dummy half. Carl Rudd added two goals and you could sense that the game had well and truly turned the way of the hosts.

Calvert’s hat-trick try, following a lapse in concentration by Halliwell handed the lead to Haven but Leigh showed good character for James Taylor to go over by the posts. Govin’s conversion regained the lead with 13 minutes remaining and the travelling support questioned whether Leigh could now complete the job.

Two minutes later Govin cut through the first line but instead of releasing the pass to Chris Hill, he chose to take Gary Broadbent on. It proved to be a costly judgement as Broadbent tackled the halfback with such force that Govin lost possession.

Haven marched downfield and fine passing saw Maden cross in the corner. There was still time for the Centurions to hit back but their spirit was broken and Scott McAvoy supported a superb offload from Joe to make sure with the final try three minutes from the end. In the build-up to the try James Taylor picked up a nasty blow and was taken from the field on a stretcher.

After the game Leigh boss Tony Benson revealed it was a precautionary measure and added, “It was absolutely precautionary, there was no head injury, just slight whiplash. I spoke to him in the changing rooms and he seems fine.”

“The telling factor was losing Scott Grix and not having a specialist winger on the bench to replace Dean Gaskell. They just started attacking that side and we tried three or four different players and none of them really came up to the mark. Full credit to them for seeing the weakness and playing toward it. Someone got a hat-trick on that side of the field so it’s pretty obvious where the problem was.”

“I thought we used the conditions well in the first half to go 16-0 up. They played us far better in the second half. With 1800 people shouting for Whitehaven I’m sure the crowd managed to influence the bounce of the ball! There was too much going against us on one day. But to say I’m disappointed would be a massive understatement.”

Game Stats:

Whitehaven
1. Gary Broadbent
2. Craig Calvert
3. David Seeds
4. Derry Eilbeck
5. Steve Maden
6. Leroy Joe
7. John Duffy
8. Marc Jackson
9. Aaron Smith
10. Steve Trindall
11. Scott McAvoy
12. Mark Leafa
13. Carl Rudd
Subs (All Used)
14. Carl Sice
15. David Fatialofa
16. Ricky Wright
17. Howard Hill

Tries: Calvert (41, 57, 60), Duffy (45), Maden (72), McAvoy (77).
Goals: Rudd 4/6.

Leigh:
1. Scott Grix
2. Dean Gaskell
3. Danny Halliwell
4. Carl Forber
5. Lee Greenwood
6. Mick Govin
7. Aaron Heremaia
8. Warren Stevens
9. Paul Rowley
16. John Cookson
11. James Taylor
12. Chris Hill
13. Gary Sykes
Subs (All Used)
14. Gareth Pemberton
15. Danny Speakman
10. Dana Wilson
17. Bryn Hargreaves

Tries: Halliwell (2), Forber (29), Greenwood (32), Taylor (67).
Goals: Govin 3/5.

Attendance: 1,809
Referee: Peter Taberner.
Penalties: 11-9.

Progressive Scores:
0-6; 0-10; 0-16. HT 6-16; 10-16; 16-16; 20-16; 20-22; 26-22; 32-22.