2008 Season Reports: Farewell Hilton Park: LEIGH CENTURIONS 24 WHITEHAVEN 30

LEIGH CENTURIONS 24

WHITEHAVEN 30
DAVE PARKINSON at Hilton Park

In 1947, the Centurions home ground opened with a loss and that’s the way Leigh finished as the final curtain came down on both Hilton Park and the 2008 season. Whitehaven called on all their reserves of energy and mental toughness to win a high quality play-off game despite the wet weather that threatened to put a dampener on things.

Victorious boss Ged Stokes, who has overseen his Whitehaven side rise from bottom of Co-Operative National League One to within 160 minutes of a Grand Final appearance, said “it was something special.”

“We worked really hard during the game and if you look back over it, I think we deserved to win the game.” He continued, “I don’t think there were any flukes involved with that one. I think we ended up in the last five or ten minutes wanting it more and we got the result. I’m really pleased and proud of our guys. It was a hard, tough, physical game and we didn’t expect anything else.”

Haven opened the scoring after three minutes when Leroy Joe, a livewire at hooker and Tane Manihera worked the attack down the right and Howard Hill went over for an unconverted try.

Leigh’s response came quickly when Mike Wainwright put out an excellent pass for Adam Higson and the onrushing centre drew Gary Broadbent before passing back for Wainwright to score. Ian Mort converted but Whitehaven were soon on level terms when James Taylor was penalised for playing the ball too quickly and Manihera struck the first of six goals.

Three penalties on the bounce put Leigh in good field position but when the Centurions were unable to fight through, Mort added a further two points to the score.

Although the rain teemed down, Whitehaven responded with an elegant try that involved quick passes and magic hands. Saia Makisi somehow got the ball away, Manihera, Joe and Rob Jackson combined and flying winger Adebisi touched down in the corner. Manihera goaled from the touchline and during a spell of Haven dominance he added a further penalty to make it 14-8 after 27 minutes.

Although starved of possession, Leigh showed good character to wrestle things back in their favour. Steve Maden snapped up a loose ball but didn’t back himself sixty metres out, but on their next set that man Wainwright carried the ball into contact before offloading a pass that Leon Pryce would have been proud of. In support full back Mort ran on and momentum took him too the line despite a couple of attempted tackles. The conversion levelled things up and the game was deadlocked at half-time, 14-14.

The early moments of the second half saw prop forwards Karl Edmonson and Mike Morrison fail to finish the build up from Manihera and Andy Hobson respectively but it was an injury to Dave Alstead that turned the tide for Haven. “We sent the message out straight away, as soon as we saw him go down. When you make a change like that and bring someone on that isn’t a winger there is always going to be trouble” explained Stokes. From a scrum the ball was moved to Rob Jackson and the former Leigh centre then put the ball out for Adebisi to race in for his second try. Leigh again showed character and when former Haven loose forward Aaron Smith burst through paper thin defence after 52 minutes, the game was locked up at 20-20.

Mort and Gregg McNally traded penalties before Manihera again edged Haven in front after the Centurions were caught offside. With six minutes remaining there were shades of the 2004 Grand Final when Mort stepped up to make it 24-24 but there was to be no fairytale ending for Leigh this time. With three minutes remaining, the outstanding Makisi split the Centurions defence, Andy Gorski followed up and McNally flanked him to take the scoring pass. Manihera had nerves of steel to hand Haven a six point advantage and although Watson’s restart failed to travel ten metres there was another chance for Leigh as they went down into Whitehaven’s 20 only for McConnell to be held up over the line as the final hooter sounded.

“We came up short.” Admitted Leigh boss Neil Kelly, “but I can’t really blame the players that played today. We played Mike Wainwright at six and he performed really well today but you need your specialists at six and at centre. It’s frustrating, but we’ll get better than this next season and hopefully when we come back to the play-offs we’ll learn our lesson and go further in them. We missed significant players in significant positions and you can’t afford to play without them week in, week out. I was really pleased with the young players and Dave McConnell. He performed manfully today with great effect and the signs are there that we should grow from this."

GAMEBREAKER: That Makisi offload for Gorski. When McNally crossed the line in support in the 77th minute, you knew that Haven had this game.

GAMESTAR: Saia Makisi, was always on hand to make metres and his footwork and handling skills shone through on a gluepot pitch.

CENTURIONS
1 Ian Mort
2 Dave Alstead
3 Mark Roberts
4 Adam Higson
5 Steve Maden
6 Mike Wainwright
7 Ian Watson
8 Andy Hobson
9 Dave McConnell
10 Mike Morrison
11 Lee Doran
12 James Taylor
13 Aaron Smith
Subs (all used)
14 Lee Marsh
15 Tony Stewart
16 Chris Hill
17 John Cookson

Tries: Wainwright (7), Mort (34), Smith (52)
Goals: Mort 6/6.
Field goal:
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissal: (TIME) – offence

WHITEHAVEN
1 Gary Broadbent
2 Craig Calvert
3 Rob Jackson
4 John Patrick
5 Ade Adebisi
6 Tane Manihera
7 Gregg McNally
8 Karl Edmonson
9 Leroy Joe
10 David Fatialofa
11 Spencer Miller
12 Howard Hill
13 Saia Makisi
Subs (all used)
14 Tyrone Dalton
15 Andy Gorski
16 Ryan McDonald
17 Marc Jackson

Tries: Hill (3), Adebisi (25, 47), McNally (77).
Goals: Manihera 6/7, McNally 1/1.
Field goal:
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissal: (TIME) – offence

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Centurions: Dave McConnell
Whitehaven: Saia Makisi

Penalty count: 12-8
Half-time: 14-14
Referee: Ronnie Laughton
Attendance: 2,306

SCORING SEQUENCE:
0-4, 6-4, 6-6, 8-6, 8-12, 8-14, 14-14; 14-20, 20-20, 22-20, 22-22, 22-24, 24-24, 24-30.