Leeds Rhinos 52-22 Leigh Centurions: Visitors reduced to 10 men in Challenge Cup defeat
By Press Association Sport
Last Updated: 01/06/18 11:32pm
Leigh duo Peter Mata'utia and Matty Dawson were sent off as Leeds rammed home their Super League quality to win 52-22 and march into the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-finals.
Centurions full-back Mata'utia made a dangerous lift on Rhinos hooker Matt Parcell in the 10th minute and was given his marching orders by referee Chris Kendall before winger Dawson followed suit for dissent in the closing stages.
Leigh had struck first through prop Nathan Mason's close-range score but Brian McDermott's side took control after Mata'utia's sending off and led 40-12 at the break.
They ran in a total of seven first-half tries to seal their place at the Macron Stadium in Bolton for the Challenge Cup semi-finals on August 5 as part of a historic double-header.
Leeds had beaten Leigh at this stage of the competition in 2012 and 2014 but this latest meeting was switched to the home of Featherstone Rovers because of the Test match cricket taking place at Headingley.
McDermott was left with three injury concerns as Parcell was forced off midway through the first half with concussion while Carl Ablett and Jimmy Keinhorst also departed during the opening period.
After Mason's opener and Mata'utia's red card, Leeds took the lead when winger Tom Briscoe scored in the 11th and 17th minutes.
The Rhinos began to motor and home-grown full-back Jack Walker showed brilliant footwork to step past Dawson and dive under the posts.
Three minutes later, Walker turned provider as he broke the Centurions' line once again before sending centre Ash Handley racing over inside the left channel.
In the 26th minute, and with Leeds utterly dominant, Keinhorst found space to go over inside the right channel but pulled up in the act of scoring and was replaced.
With Parcell and Ablett also forced to depart the action, the Rhinos were left with only one fit player on their interchange bench.
Nevertheless, they scored again in the 28th minute when Ashton Golding finished off a fine break and three minutes before the break, Richie Myler got on the scoresheet after starting and finishing another fine move which also involved the impressive Walker.
Lilley converted all but one of Leeds' seven first-half tries, while Leigh scored a second try in the 31st minute when scrum-half Drew Hutchison scampered over from close range and Ben Reynolds added his second conversion.
Eight minutes into the second half, Cameron Smith barged over the line and Lilley converted to make it 46-12 before Crooks and Liam Hood hit back with scores for the spirited visitors.
Referee Kendall also put an incident on report during the first half in which Leigh centre Ben Crooks appeared to lead with an elbow on Myler.
Eight minutes into the second half, Cameron Smith barged over the line and Lilley converted to make it 46-12 before Crooks and Liam Hood hit back with scores for the spirited visitors.
Leigh prop Jamie Acton and Leeds second-rower Brett Ferres were sin-binned before Adam Cuthbertson added another Leeds try and Dawson saw red for dissent.
