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GAP DOWN TO TWO AS RHINOS DEFEATED AGAIN
By leedsrhinos.biz June 22 2008
The side was not dissimilar to the last time these two sides met at Knowsley Road in round nine: the only major differences last night were that the Rhinos had Lauitiiti and the Saints had Cayless in their squads respectively. The sun was shining and the eighteen thousand supporters inside the Headingley Carnegie were expecting one hell of a game.

                                     Match Report

Leeds Rhinos 12 St Helens 26

                                     Friday 20th June 2008, Headingley Carnegie Stadium. 

 

The side was not dissimilar to the last time these two sides met at Knowsley Road in round nine: the only major differences last night were that the Rhinos had Lauitiiti and the Saints had Cayless in their squads respectively. The sun was shining and the eighteen thousand supporters inside the Headingley Carnegie were expecting one hell of a game.

The opening exchanges of the game were even with the game living up the expectations, as Leeds were defending the Carnegie Stand, but also facing the lowering sun: but the Rhinos had the advantage of thousands of screaming fans beside them in the SS, all hoping to once again be six points clear at the top of the engage Super League. 

The forwards were making some big hits, and the atmosphere as rising because of this, but it was the visitors that got the first points on the board.

Fa'asavalu was the Saints player to take advantage. He ran thirty metres, passing Brent Webb on his way, to score under the sticks. Sean Long added the extras to put the Grand Final losers six points ahead.

Leeds replied though within four minutes. McGuire kicked a superb grubber kick, which neatly popped up for Sinfield next to the posts. Sinfield converted to continue his consecutive scoring run (fifty two rounds now), and also put the Rhinos level. Six a piece.

The next try game from the side which travelled from Merseyside. A neat chip surprised the Leeds defenders as it hit the sticks, just above the padding. It was a stroke of good luck that Hargreaves touched down the bouncing ball. Sean Long missed a relitavley easy looking conversion, but the Saints were still in the lead, 10-6. And that was to be the score that got carried into half time.

In the last few seconds of the half, the skipper, Kevin Sinfield, appeared steal the ball, one on one, right on the Saints line. But Ganson ruled, without going to the video referee, that he had already blown the whistle for a completed tackle, and after re-watching on Sky, he made the right decision.

Five minutes after the break, Ganson gave St Helens two penalties, the first of which was from deep in Saints’ own half. As Smith tried to intercept, he knocked on and from the head and feed, the ball was moved to the left and it was Meli who found the gap. Long, unsurprisingly, failed to convert. The score was now 14-6.

On fifty three, Long collected a dropped ball from a Leeds attacker, and went to ground. It took him a few seconds to realise that the opposition could get a penalty for a voluntary tackle, so, he tried to regain his feet. But luckily, JJB was their to pick him up and carry him into the sidelines, meaning head and feed to Leeds at the base of the scrum. Not according to Steve Ganson who eased the pressure on the Saints line, giving them the penalty.

It was getting tasty on the field of play, and it was inevitable that something was going to happen, and it sure did:


On fifty four, Nick Scruton spear tackled Keiron Cunningham, dropping him to the ground in the diagonal position. It wasn’t a vicious tackle, but it did deserve a red card, and got one. But it’s very unlikely that if the referee had been more consistent and fair throughout the game this would of happened.


Only one minute after the incident, Meli went over for his second in the corner. Once more, Long missed, but the score was surely unreachable at 18-6 with only twelve men.

As the sixty minute mark was approaching, Burrow nearly went over but it was was Donald that did in the corner, as a long pass from the dancing McGuire cut out Senior. Sinfield succeeded in a touchline conversion as expected of undoubtedly Super League’s best goal kicker, making the score 18-12, but still to Saints.

Sean Long’s bomb with seventeen minutes remaining was caught by Leon Pryce, who managed to cross the whitewash, but the man who created that try hardly made up for his poor kicking attempts on seventy six when he kicked a penalty after his side was took advantage of a high shot from Bailey right in front of the sticks. 

Not everything can be blamed of the referee, because on the night, even if the game was being controlled by a different ref, the Saints still probably would have won. 

The penalty count ended up at 7-11 to the visitors, but you must take into account that it did get evened up slightly nearer the end of the eighty minutes. Hopefully this game has been a lesson to the RFL, don’t pick a match official to officiate a game that involves a team of which is from a place where the referee is from (if you haven’t guessed, Ganson is from St Helens).

Next up for Leeds is another game at the Headingley Carnegie. Next week its the turn of Cas Tigers to visit the home of the Super League and World Champions. It’s a game where at least five or six Leeds players will be missing from, all because of the international clash which takes place just a day earlier in France. Brian McClennan has already said in the post match press conference that it will be a game where he will be looking towards the youngsters to perform in.

At least the players and fans can now look forward to the Carnegie Challenge Cup Semi Final clash with St Helens at the Galpharm Stadium in five weeks time.  

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