LEIGH CENTURIONS 0
WIGAN WARRIORS 32
DAVE PARKINSON at Leigh Sports Village
There is nothing to get the passion flowing quite like a Leigh and Wigan derby and these have been sadly lacking in the Rugby League calendar over recent years with Wigan’s 34-6 victory over the Centurions in 2006 being the last encounter – until now.
The official opening of the new Sports Village Stadium brought in an impressive crowd of 6,476 on a bitterly cold afternoon while Wigan certainly brought their “A” game to again show the difference between top six Super League and top six Championship.
At times the Warriors were ruthless, speedy, agile, clever and dangerous while Leigh showed once more they have a hard working team that can trouble the best but they need to develop a clinical streak to convert chances when presented.
Victorious coach Brian Noble commented, “It was a good defensive work out for us today. We weren’t as fluent as I’d have liked us to be, but we lost both our nines this week in practice. Mark Flanagan went in there really well, while we rolled Thomas Leuluai round there with Sam Tomkins. We were obviously going to lack a bit of fluidity but we bent our backs, which was good. You could see the improvement in relation to the last time we went out there – defensively. Leigh kept testing us and kept testing the systems defensively and at this time of year that is where games are going to be won and lost, on things like kick chase.”
Wigan started brightly and after trialist Brett Longstaff spilled an early pass, the Warriors piled the pressure on with Tim Smith eventually sending point scoring ace Pat Richards to the line with a long cut-out pass. Richards landed the first of four goals and the Warriors were away – 6-0.
Stuart Donlan was then halted in the corner for Leigh although Wigan charged up to the other end of the field for Iafeta Paleaaesina to make a good impression of a human wrecking ball and scatter a couple of defenders on his way to the try line. Again Richards was on form with the boot.
Wigan stepped up the pace with a superb passing move involving six players before Cameron Phelps dropped the ball in the corner. It was then Leigh’s turn to attack but whereas Wigan came up with tries on their visits into the twenty metre zone, Leigh forced drop-outs – two in succession, but other than Donlan and Jamie Smith being denied, they couldn’t convert.
Still, Leigh kept up the pressure without ever truly threatening and on the two occasions they did, first Ian Watson, then Martyn Ridyard threw passes that were intercepted by Richards and Phelps respectively. The Phelps intercept proved costly with the former Cronulla back racing downfield with Ridyard, Donlan and Adam Higson all in pursuit. Although Phelps was stopped, Wigan quickly passed wide and Andy Coley bounced Smith out of the way to touch down.
At 16-0 Leigh were hanging on again when the dynamic Harrison Hansen was held on the last tackle and that was how things remained at halftime.
Two tries in eight minutes tipped the game in Wigan’s favour. Both were a result of Leigh conceding penalties that put the visitors in good attacking areas. First Thomas Leluai burrowed through from dummy half after the Centurions failed to number up close to their own line, then a classy run from Sean O’Loughlin saw him skip two attempted tackles to cross at the side of the posts. Richards struck both goals and 28-0 looked comfortable.
O’Loughlin thought he was on route to a second try after 55 minutes but the pass from Phelps to his skipper was ruled forward. The game took on added spice shortly after the hour mark when a physical tackle on Sam Tomkins brought both packs to confrontation. This seemed to work in the Centurions favour as on the back of sterling work from James Taylor, Leigh pierced the Wigan defence for Sam Reay to be tackled close to the line. Twice, Leigh forced drop outs, but each time, the defence held firm and the Warriors again displayed their clinical edge and Super League guile when cross field passes presented an opportunity for Phil Bailey and he grounded near the corner flag for the Warriors final try after 68 minutes.
Although there was no further addition to the score, Leigh offered a little more in attack during the final ten minutes. Steve Maden’s inventive chip came to nought and John Cookson could only watch on as Phelps won the race to Watson’s delicate grubber kick.
“We won’t play teams like Wigan every week” said Leigh boss Neil Kelly afterwards. “I can’t fault the effort. We just need more composure. We forced pressure but failed to get across their line.”
GAMEBREAKER: Two tries in the first eight minutes of the second half for Wigan took the game away from Leigh and left the Centurions players scrapping for places for next weekend’s season opener at Featherstone
GAMESTAR: Thomas Leuluai – especially when switched to hooker, he caused problems galore for the Leigh defence.
CENTURIONS
1 Stuart Donlan
5 Nick Stanton
3 Steve Maden
19 Adam Rudd
22 Jamie Smith
23 Martyn Ridyard
7 Ian Watson
Brett Longstaff
9 Dave McConnell
10 Mike Morrison
12 James Taylor
11 Dave Armitstead
4 Tony Stewart
SUBS (All Used)
14 Ian Mort
Lee Marsh
15 Adam Higson
16 Chris Hill
Danny Meekin
Jamie Durbin
18 Sam Reay
20 John Cookson
Tries: -
Goals: -
Drop-goals: -
WARRIORS
1 Richard Mathers
21 Cameron Phelps
3 Darrell Goulding
4 George Carmont
5 Pat Richards
6 Tim Smith
7 Thomas Leuluai
8 Stuart Fielden
26 Mark Flanagan
10 Iafeta Paleaaesina
11 Gareth Hock
12 Philip Bailey
13 Sean O’Loughlin
Subs: (All Used)
14 Joel Tomkins
15 Andy Coley
16 Harrison Hansen
19 Paul Prescott
20 Karl Pryce
23 Eamon O’Carroll
25 Sam Tomkins
Tries: Richards (3), Paleaaesina (15), Coley (30), Leuluai (46), O’Loughlin (48), Bailey (68).
Goals: Richards 4/6
Drop-goals:
Referee: Mr Phil Bentham.
Penalties: 9-11
Attendance: 6,476.
Halftime: 0-16.
Rugby Leaguer and League Express Men of the Match:
Leigh: Stuart Donlan
Wigan: Thomas Leuluai
Friday, 8 January 2010
2009 Season Reports: Pre-season Friendly: LEIGH CENTURIONS 28 OLDHAM 20
LEIGH CENTURIONS 28
OLDHAM 20
DAVE PARKINSON at Leigh Sports Village
Leigh Centurions got their pre-season away to a winning start at the third attempt following a tough encounter against Oldham that had Centurions boss Neil Kelly praising the quality of the Roughyeds squad.
“Oldham have acquired a squad that wouldn’t look out of place in our division. I was really pleased to get the win, primarily.” He said.
“I think we needed it for morale. I was very pleased with some performances and felt that when we fronted up as a team, we exerted what authority we could. We were just going through the motions in the first half and I think when we started playing with more urgency and purpose, we were a lot better.”
The visitors grabbed the first try when Paul O’Connor evaded a tackle after build up passes by Coyle brothers James and Thomas who formed part of a solid midfield quartet with Simeon Hoyle and Robert Roberts. Leigh’s response came after 17 minutes when Dave McConnell put a kick behind the try line and Adam Higson pounced. Mort added the first of four goals but the Roughyeds were still in control when James Coyle found Halliwell. He slipped a Sam Reay tackle before Andrew Ballard hared over and converted.
Oldham were worthy of their lead at this stage and Lee Greenwood ran clear only to be brought back for a forward pass. The Centurions scored against the run of play when Martyn Ridyard cleverly intercepted Phil Joseph’s pass from dummy half to run 30 metres. Parity resumed when Ballard scored his second from Thomas Coyle’s clever kick following a lapse in Leigh’s discipline.
If the first half was Oldham’s, the second was Leigh’s. Ian Mort scored two minutes after the restart when Oldham lost possession deep in their own twenty but his missed conversion meant the scores were locked 16-16.
Although Higson was sinbinned for his part in a confrontation with Jamie I’Anson, the Leigh defence held firm. Ridyard later conjured a break from nothing and the Centurions forced a drop out. This pressure told on Oldham and one time Roughyed Ian Watson sent impressive Dave Armitstead over for a try by the posts. Halliwell sailed through a gap to finish from 20 metres to give Leigh a few anxious moments before Lee Marsh’s impressive cameo resulted in a try. The big substitute worked an opening near the Oldham line and just as players converged, his astute kick found Dale Cunniffe.
“I thought it was a game we should have won.” Oldham coach Tony Benson said. “It was field position and losing control of the tempo of the ruck at crucial stages that opened it up for Leigh as well as giving away silly penalties when we had built pressure. They are all things which probably come from lack of time on the field.”
GAMEBREAKER: That astute kick from Marsh that saw Cunniffe score in the corner – Leigh then had an important buffer.
GAMESTAR: Dave Armitstead just kept going and going, and going, in attack and defence.
CENTURIONS
1 Stuart Donlan
22 Jamie Smith
18 Sam Reay
3 Steve Maden
14 Ian Mort
23 Martyn Ridyard
7 Ian Watson
20 John Cookson
9 Dave McConnell
10 Mike Morrison
15 Adam Higson
12 James Taylor
11 Dave Armitstead
Subs (All used)
24 Dean Hatton
Lee Wingfield
Danny Meekin
4 Tony Stewart
21 Dale Cunniffe
16 Chris Hill
Brett Longstaff
Jamie Durbin
MacGraff Leualai
Tries: Higson (17), Ridyard (35), Mort (42), Armitstead (65), Cunniffe (74).
Goals: Mort 4/5.
Field goal:
On Report:
Sin bin: Higson (50) – high tackle
Dismissal:
OLDHAM
1 Paul O’Connor
2 Andrew Ballard
3 Danny Halliwell
Marcus St Hilaire
5 Lee Greenwood
6 James Coyle
7 Thomas Colyle
8 Jason Boults
9 Simeon Hoyle
10 Jamie I’Anson
11 Tommy Goulden
12 Dave Allen
13 Robert Roberts
SUBS (All Used)
14 Neil Roden
4 Luke Menzies
16 Gary Sykes
17 Phil Joseph
18 Chris Baines
19 Lucas Onyango
20 Wayne Kerr
Tries: O’Connor (9), Ballard (25, 39), Halliwell (70)
Goals: Ballard 2/4.
On Report:
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissals:
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Centurions: Dave Armitstead
Oldham: Dave Allen
Penalty count: 7-10
Half-time: 12-16
Referee: Mr D Merrick
Attendance: 1,700
SCORING SEQUENCE:
0-6; 6-6; 6-12; 12-12; 12-16; 16-16; 22-16; 22-20; 28-20
OLDHAM 20
DAVE PARKINSON at Leigh Sports Village
Leigh Centurions got their pre-season away to a winning start at the third attempt following a tough encounter against Oldham that had Centurions boss Neil Kelly praising the quality of the Roughyeds squad.
“Oldham have acquired a squad that wouldn’t look out of place in our division. I was really pleased to get the win, primarily.” He said.
“I think we needed it for morale. I was very pleased with some performances and felt that when we fronted up as a team, we exerted what authority we could. We were just going through the motions in the first half and I think when we started playing with more urgency and purpose, we were a lot better.”
The visitors grabbed the first try when Paul O’Connor evaded a tackle after build up passes by Coyle brothers James and Thomas who formed part of a solid midfield quartet with Simeon Hoyle and Robert Roberts. Leigh’s response came after 17 minutes when Dave McConnell put a kick behind the try line and Adam Higson pounced. Mort added the first of four goals but the Roughyeds were still in control when James Coyle found Halliwell. He slipped a Sam Reay tackle before Andrew Ballard hared over and converted.
Oldham were worthy of their lead at this stage and Lee Greenwood ran clear only to be brought back for a forward pass. The Centurions scored against the run of play when Martyn Ridyard cleverly intercepted Phil Joseph’s pass from dummy half to run 30 metres. Parity resumed when Ballard scored his second from Thomas Coyle’s clever kick following a lapse in Leigh’s discipline.
If the first half was Oldham’s, the second was Leigh’s. Ian Mort scored two minutes after the restart when Oldham lost possession deep in their own twenty but his missed conversion meant the scores were locked 16-16.
Although Higson was sinbinned for his part in a confrontation with Jamie I’Anson, the Leigh defence held firm. Ridyard later conjured a break from nothing and the Centurions forced a drop out. This pressure told on Oldham and one time Roughyed Ian Watson sent impressive Dave Armitstead over for a try by the posts. Halliwell sailed through a gap to finish from 20 metres to give Leigh a few anxious moments before Lee Marsh’s impressive cameo resulted in a try. The big substitute worked an opening near the Oldham line and just as players converged, his astute kick found Dale Cunniffe.
“I thought it was a game we should have won.” Oldham coach Tony Benson said. “It was field position and losing control of the tempo of the ruck at crucial stages that opened it up for Leigh as well as giving away silly penalties when we had built pressure. They are all things which probably come from lack of time on the field.”
GAMEBREAKER: That astute kick from Marsh that saw Cunniffe score in the corner – Leigh then had an important buffer.
GAMESTAR: Dave Armitstead just kept going and going, and going, in attack and defence.
CENTURIONS
1 Stuart Donlan
22 Jamie Smith
18 Sam Reay
3 Steve Maden
14 Ian Mort
23 Martyn Ridyard
7 Ian Watson
20 John Cookson
9 Dave McConnell
10 Mike Morrison
15 Adam Higson
12 James Taylor
11 Dave Armitstead
Subs (All used)
24 Dean Hatton
Lee Wingfield
Danny Meekin
4 Tony Stewart
21 Dale Cunniffe
16 Chris Hill
Brett Longstaff
Jamie Durbin
MacGraff Leualai
Tries: Higson (17), Ridyard (35), Mort (42), Armitstead (65), Cunniffe (74).
Goals: Mort 4/5.
Field goal:
On Report:
Sin bin: Higson (50) – high tackle
Dismissal:
OLDHAM
1 Paul O’Connor
2 Andrew Ballard
3 Danny Halliwell
Marcus St Hilaire
5 Lee Greenwood
6 James Coyle
7 Thomas Colyle
8 Jason Boults
9 Simeon Hoyle
10 Jamie I’Anson
11 Tommy Goulden
12 Dave Allen
13 Robert Roberts
SUBS (All Used)
14 Neil Roden
4 Luke Menzies
16 Gary Sykes
17 Phil Joseph
18 Chris Baines
19 Lucas Onyango
20 Wayne Kerr
Tries: O’Connor (9), Ballard (25, 39), Halliwell (70)
Goals: Ballard 2/4.
On Report:
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissals:
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Centurions: Dave Armitstead
Oldham: Dave Allen
Penalty count: 7-10
Half-time: 12-16
Referee: Mr D Merrick
Attendance: 1,700
SCORING SEQUENCE:
0-6; 6-6; 6-12; 12-12; 12-16; 16-16; 22-16; 22-20; 28-20
Thursday, 7 January 2010
2003 Season Reports: Play-offs: LEIGH CENTURIONS 42 HULL KINGSTON ROVERS 12
28th September
CENTURIONS MARCH INTO GRAND FINAL
LEIGH 42 HULL KR 12
By Dave Parkinson
Leigh Centurions made it to a third Grand Final in four years by virtue of a 42-12 success over Hull Kingston Rovers.
Straight from the kick-off the home side tore into the visitors. Neil Turley started the scoreboard ticking with a second minute penalty and the visitors were shell shocked as tries from Danny Halliwell and Leroy Rivett made the score 12-0 after only 16 minutes. Rovers struggled to contain a rampant outfit for whom Paul Rowley and Adam Bristow were outstanding and a further penalty from Turley made it 14-0.
Rovers then threatened to make a game of it when Paul Mansson produced a moment of brilliance from his box of tricks and scored an individual try. Lynton Stott was unable to add the extras and from the restart an uncompromising hit on substitute Aziue forced the big Papuan international to spill possession. In their next set the Centurions took charge again when Sean Richardson handed onto Turley who looked all set to score before unselfishly handing on to Pat Weisner for the stand-off to add his 10th of the season.
Two minutes later the Centurions were at their spell-binding best as Adam Bristow's cut out pass hit Halliwell and the centre broke clear before changing the direction of attack for Rivett to sprint away for his second touchdown.
Leigh continued to dominate possession, as Rovers wilted under pressure and there was little surprise when David Bradbury powered over seven mints from the interval to top an outstanding first half performance and confirm a 32-4 score line. Rovers mustered one last attack before the break when Farrell raced clear but Sean Richardson showed tremendous character to put him in touch following an exciting chase.
With nothing to lose Rovers were galvanised in the second half and mounted increasing pressure on the Leigh line. An early spell was followed by the sin binning of Rivett after the winger held a Hull player down and was shown the yellow card. Despite being a man down, Leigh had the better of play, with Rovers twice conceding penalties that Turley converted into points.
A high tackle from Rovers on Paul Norman saw the incident placed on report after 56 minutes but the half swung back in Rovers favour as Leigh conceded some rather harsh looking penalties and turned over some cheap ball. With possession heavily in their favour, the visitors finally cracked the home line when Parker scored on the right and a second try followed five minutes later when quick passing released McLarron and the winger scorched over by the flag.
Just before the finish, Leigh got their act together once more when twice in the same set, Rivett made good metres. On the second occasion he sliced through the defence, ran 40 metres before releasing the supporting Damian Munro to the posts for his 31st try of the season. Lee Sanderson completed the scoring with the kick and Leigh set up a 7th winner takes all clash with Salford.
CENTURIONS MARCH INTO GRAND FINAL
LEIGH 42 HULL KR 12
By Dave Parkinson
Leigh Centurions made it to a third Grand Final in four years by virtue of a 42-12 success over Hull Kingston Rovers.
Straight from the kick-off the home side tore into the visitors. Neil Turley started the scoreboard ticking with a second minute penalty and the visitors were shell shocked as tries from Danny Halliwell and Leroy Rivett made the score 12-0 after only 16 minutes. Rovers struggled to contain a rampant outfit for whom Paul Rowley and Adam Bristow were outstanding and a further penalty from Turley made it 14-0.
Rovers then threatened to make a game of it when Paul Mansson produced a moment of brilliance from his box of tricks and scored an individual try. Lynton Stott was unable to add the extras and from the restart an uncompromising hit on substitute Aziue forced the big Papuan international to spill possession. In their next set the Centurions took charge again when Sean Richardson handed onto Turley who looked all set to score before unselfishly handing on to Pat Weisner for the stand-off to add his 10th of the season.
Two minutes later the Centurions were at their spell-binding best as Adam Bristow's cut out pass hit Halliwell and the centre broke clear before changing the direction of attack for Rivett to sprint away for his second touchdown.
Leigh continued to dominate possession, as Rovers wilted under pressure and there was little surprise when David Bradbury powered over seven mints from the interval to top an outstanding first half performance and confirm a 32-4 score line. Rovers mustered one last attack before the break when Farrell raced clear but Sean Richardson showed tremendous character to put him in touch following an exciting chase.
With nothing to lose Rovers were galvanised in the second half and mounted increasing pressure on the Leigh line. An early spell was followed by the sin binning of Rivett after the winger held a Hull player down and was shown the yellow card. Despite being a man down, Leigh had the better of play, with Rovers twice conceding penalties that Turley converted into points.
A high tackle from Rovers on Paul Norman saw the incident placed on report after 56 minutes but the half swung back in Rovers favour as Leigh conceded some rather harsh looking penalties and turned over some cheap ball. With possession heavily in their favour, the visitors finally cracked the home line when Parker scored on the right and a second try followed five minutes later when quick passing released McLarron and the winger scorched over by the flag.
Just before the finish, Leigh got their act together once more when twice in the same set, Rivett made good metres. On the second occasion he sliced through the defence, ran 40 metres before releasing the supporting Damian Munro to the posts for his 31st try of the season. Lee Sanderson completed the scoring with the kick and Leigh set up a 7th winner takes all clash with Salford.
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