Leigh Leopards player ratings: 4s and 5s but Matt Moylan stars in defeat to Leeds Rhinos
Despite a spirited second-half display, Leigh Leopards fell to a tough 18-10 defeat to an inspired Leeds Rhinos at Headingley.
Tries from Matt Moylan and Edwin Ipape brought the Leopards back into the contest after going down 18-0, however it was too little too late for Adrian Lam’s men as they slipped to their second defeat in three games. The defeat also now widens the gap between them and the top six to five points.
It was a mixed performance from the Leopards too. They did some things very well but struggled to hit their full stride. Here are our Leigh Leopards player ratings.
Matt Moylan – 8
Created some good chances tonight and could easily have had three assists (if not for some desperate Leeds defence). Scored a try for his efforts too. He’s brought a lovely new dynamic to the Leigh attack.
Umyla Hanley – 5
Quiet showing from Hanley tonight. Wasn’t given a lot of ball to work with, though.
Zak Hardaker – 6
Constantly threatened to break through the line and gave Leigh plenty of front-foot ball.
Ricky Leutele – 4
Struggled all game. Blew three decent chances to put Josh Charnley in for a try. Was later denied a score of his own too and smashed back by Fusitu’a, which rather summed up his night.
Josh Charnley – 5
Starved of the ball for large chunks of the game but did well with what he was given; including a lovely line break in the first-half.
Ed Chamberlain – 6
Often stepped in at dummy-half, and overall did his job well. Grew into the game as it went on to become a decent running option.
Lachlan Lam – 7
Once again, a menace at the line. His combination with Moylan out the back was a real strong point for the Leopards, and they combined well for the opening try. Kicked well too
Tom Amone – 5
Wasn’t at his usual best in his first stint. Lost the battle through the middle against his opposite numbers. His knock-on also led to Brodie Croft’s runaway second try. Much better upon his return but couldn’t get his side over the line.
Matt Davis – 5
Distributed well, but Leigh’s attack works well with a running nine and he lacked that threat around the ruck.
Owen Trout – 5
Really quiet display from the former Leeds Rhinos academy man. Was bested by Oledzki and Sangare on both sides of the ball. Had a busier second spell though.
Kai O’Donnell – 6
Typical hard-running performance from the outgoing O’Donnell. Added some real punch to Leigh’s right edge (as always).
Frankie Halton – 6
Grew into the contest and linked up well with the players around him, an overall solid performance.
Jack Hughes – 5
A really quiet showing from Hughes, struggled to get a foothold in the game.
Interchanges
Dan Norman – 6
Just did his job very well. Was very busy on both sides of the ball.
Edwin Ipape – 7
Did his usual job for the team. Brought a fresh dynamic around the ruck too, which in turn assisted Leigh’s attack. Was just as strong when deployed at 13, and scored a nice try too
Brad Dwyer – 6
Standard Brad Dwyer impact off the bench. Proper ‘nuggetty’ (I’m sorry) performance again and was a threat around the ruck.
Aaron Pene – 8
Added some much-needed impact through the middle. Carried very hard through contact and packed a punch in defence. Gave away an unnecessary penalty to gift Leeds points though.
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