Leeds Rhinos 22 Leigh Centurions 14

If ever there was an advert for not shoe horning three games into seven or eight days, this forgettable Headingley experience was it.

A game of 26 penalties, two team warnings, yellow cards for Leigh pair, Antoni Maria and Dayne Weston, plus a plethora of mistakes added upto a match to forget.

Leeds’ consolation was they picked up the two points while Centurions proved suitably durable, twice playing a man short for 10 minutes and not conceding points.

They even contributed the final try through Cory Paterson leaving head coach Neil Jukes to deliver familiar post match thoughts.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Jukes. “But we are still not in the position where we are that team who are doing okay but not getting results.

“It is results based and I am still disappointed we didn’t get the result.

“When we build pressure and get repeat sets, we can’t knock on on play one. It just defeats the object.

“Then when we defend decent sets not give penalties away on the last play. That’s hard enough but to have sin bins on the back of that it just takes away what you have done.

“We do need quality in some areas and we need to get bodies back on the field.”

Leigh, without a win at Headingley since 1984, lined-up without Harrison Hansen and Glenn Stewart due to concussion protocols and experienced heads, Gareth Hock and Micky Higham through injury.

“I told the players everyone had to be a leader and do someone’s job that probably wasn’t theirs,” added Jukes. “And that’s what they did.

“Matty Fleming hobbled around on one leg for 60 minutes, we lost Atelea Vea after 50 minutes and then we had the two sin binnings. So, to still get the last try and make it respectable was a credit to the players.”

Jukes though wouldn’t be drawn on referee James Child’s performance or the appointment of Chris Kendall as touch judge, five days after his appearance against Castleford that sent owner Derek Beaumont into meltdown.

“We review our performances same as they review their performances,” he said. “I won’t lose any sleep who is reffing us or who is tough judge.”

Tries from Aussie prop Adam Cuthbertson, Tom Briscoe and Joel Moon plus a Liam Sutcliffe conversion gave Leeds a 14-10 half-time lead as Matty Dawson touched down twice for Centurions.

The Rhinos’ only second half points came from two Sutcliffe penalties while Paterson grabbed an unconverted try in the closing seconds.

Leeds:

Sutcliffe; Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall; McGuire, Burrow; Singleton, Parcell, Garbutt, Ferres, Jones-Buchanan, Cuthbertson; substitutes: Galloway, Ablett, Mullally, Handley.

Tries: Cuthbertson (8, 58), Briscoe (15), Moon (35)

Goals: Sutcliffe (3)

Leigh:

McNally; Naughton, Brown, Fleming, Dawson; Hampshire, Drinkwater; Acton, Hood, Weston, Vea, Paterson. Burr; substitutes: Pelissier, Tickle, Maria, Hopkins.

Tries: Dawson (29, 40) Paterson (80)

Goals: Drinkwater (1)

Referee: James Child