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SLXII - Round XXIV
17th August 2007
Rhinos Survive a KR scare
It was a Rhinos side which was once again missing a number of key players. Rob Burrow was still injured and Brent Webb was only reaching the half-way stage of his three match suspension. Lee Smith was given the job at full-back, and ably he performed it, and Kevin Sinfield was at stand-off. The well supported Robins would be looking to spring a surprise and we needed to be at the top of our game.
Leeds dominated the early exchanges, putting imense pressure on the KR line, but the visitors backed by a vociferous couple of thousand from Humerside, held firm. It wasn't until the seventeenth minute that the Rhinos found a way through.
Repeated penalties, as Hull tested the referees patience by holding down at every opportunity, saw the Rhinos in the Robins twenty before Donald stepped inside off the wing and crossed, despite being tripped on his way to the line. Sinfield goaled and the scoreboard was off and running.
On sixteen the referees patience ran out and after a previous warning to the captain, hooker Chris Chester saw yellow and took a ten minute break. His colleagues held firm for the first eight minutes he was off the field but on twent-four a superb flick pass from Thackray found Ryan Hall who went thirty etres to score in the corner. The skipper failed to convert from the touchline but at 10-0 everything was going to plan.
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On the half-hour KR were once again penalised downfield and once inside the twenty a great falling pass from Sinfield found Diskin in support to cross from close. The Sinfield goal gave us a 16-0 lead that we'd take into half-time.
It was a solid performance against a dedicated and keen Hull side. They were throwing everything that they had at us and we were withstanding it, but they were also managing to avoid caving in as we attacked. We needed more of the same in the second half, as we checked our phones for traces of the half-time from the Willows.
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110% |
The new was good, Salford were holding Saints at 12-12, this could be a great Leeds night.
The start to the second half took us, all except the Hull KR travelling masses, by surprise. With the half just two minutes old a Leeds high tackle allowed Hull into our twenty and a couple of plays later and Lovegrove crossed with three Leeds defenders in tow. Cooke goaled for 16-6. A minor blip, surely?
Six minutes later and a nervousness rippled through the SouthStand as KR celebrated another six points.
A perfectly weighted grubber confused the Leeds defence and Dyer touched the loose ball down in the corner. Cooke slotted the extras and the visitors had come out firing on all cylinders. The Rhinos needed to regroup, and regroup they did.
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On fifty-seven there was relief. Ablett made a try from nowhere as he stepped out of a tackle down the Leeds left and went forty metres before passing inside to Toopi to run the last thirty and score under the sticks making Sinfields job of the conversion a simple one. At 22-12 the ship was steadier, and even better, the Reds had taken the lead.
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On sixty-four the game was almost in the bag. Good work from Bailey, and an offload to Sinfield, allowed the captain to throw a long ball to the wing and for Scott Donald to run in from ten metres for his second of the night. Sinfield converted and we were 28-12 ahead. It wasnow ceertainly going to be our night.
The sevenytieth minute and the visitors were not giving it up. Leeds charged down a kick on the last and the ball went back into Hull hands. A quick frustrated Leeds penalty and Hull were inside our twenty again. This time Tandy did well to stretch and score and Cooke kicked the additional two for 28-18.
It had been a cracker of a game, and a real battle against a side who just didn't know when to throw in the towel. As the hooter warmed up, JJB found a gap and passed inside for Danny McGuire to dive under the sticks. Sinfield made it 34-18 and as the hooter sounded and we trudged off into the night, we were mighty relieved that we'd got the two points in a monster arm wrestle.
It was a great game, played in good spirit, by two decent sides. KR were far better opposition that Salford hadbeen last week and on this showing they deserve to stay in the top flight, for another season at least. Leeds toughed it out, and apart from a scare at the start of the second half, dominated the game and deserved the points.
A week off now, and then that all important trip to Odsal.
Man of the Match Poll
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Points | Player | % |
10 | Diskin | 26% |
10 | Peacock | 26% |
6 | Donald | 11% |
6 | McGuire | 11% |
4 | Leuleui | 8% |
4 | Sinfield | 8% |
2 | Senior | 5% |
1 | Bailey | 3% |
1 | Ellis | 3% |
See here for season standings.
Match Facts
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No.
|
Player
|
T
|
G
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DG
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No.
|
Player
|
T
|
G
|
DG
|
|
5
|
Smith
|
|
|
|
|
24
|
Hardman
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
Donald
|
2
|
|
|
|
22
|
Bauer
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
Toopi
|
1
|
|
|
|
3
|
Goddard
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
Senior
|
|
|
|
|
21
|
Dyer
|
1
|
|
|
|
25
|
Hall
|
1
|
|
|
|
30
|
Lennon
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
Sinfield
|
|
5
|
|
|
31
|
Cooke
|
|
3
|
|
|
6
|
McGuire
|
1
|
|
|
|
7
|
Webster
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
Bailey
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
Vella
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
Diskin
|
1
|
|
|
|
9
|
Fisher
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
Leuleui
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
Aizue
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
Jones-Buchanan
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
Chester
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
Peacock
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
O'Neil
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
Ellis
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
Murrell
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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22
|
Ablett
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|
|
|
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16
|
Netherton
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|
|
|
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15
|
Thackray
|
|
|
|
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18
|
Ward
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
Kirke
|
|
|
|
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32
|
Tandy
|
1
|
|
|
|
14
|
Lauiti'iti
|
|
|
|
|
33
|
Lovegrove
|
1
|
|
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Kick Off:
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20:00
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Half-Time:
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16-00
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Referee:
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Richard Silverwood
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Crowd:
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17,389
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