Leeds Rhinos beat Wigan Warriors in Ash Handley testimonial but suffer huge injury concern
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In front of 5,00 at AMT Headingley, Rhinos scored four tries to one, with the first of them going to Handley. But the loss of Sivo, an off-season signing from Parramatta Eels, was a major concern with Betfred Super League less than three weeks away.
Sivo made some strong early carries - and a knock-on - before being hurt late in the first half, when he attempted to charge down a kick by Bevan French. He managed to slowly limp from the field, but looked to be in considerable pain. The positive news is he was walking afterwards, though he faces scans on his damaged left knee.
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Leeds also lost substitute forward Cooper Jenkins, who took a head knock trying to put a big hit on Wigan’s Liam Byrne. Leeds were very good for the first quarter as they went 12-0 ahead, but then conceded two sets of back to back penalties and made a series of handling errors. They defended well, however, under heavy pressure, conceding just once and that was a promising sign.
With the wind against Leeds in the second half - and driving rain into their faces - they dominated to add two more tries to a couple from the opening period. Troubled only once - when youngster Harley Thomas came to the rescue with a try-saving tackle on Noah Hodgkinson - they could have scored more with steadier finishing.
Both teams made a host of changes as the game went on and had numerous academy players on the field at the end, but any win over Wigan is a good one and this will give Leeds a leg up into the new campaign. Handley scored before Wigan had possession of the ball. Matt Frawley landed a 40-20, Rhinos got a six-again in the resulting set and on the final tackle Jake Connor grubbered ahead and Handley ran through to touch down.
Connor used the swirling wind to good effect in the first half. He almost landed a 40-20, then deceived Wigan full-back Jai Field into a knock-on under a magnificent spiral bomb. From that, good runs by James Bentley and Keenan Palasia took Rhinos to the line and Handley’s co-captain Cameron Smith jinked in for a well-taken try from acting-half Andy Ackers’ pass.
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Sivo was hurt in the build-up to Wigan’s try. It was one of the most bizarre touchdowns anyone’s likely to see this year, the ball being batted back twice in goal - by Adam Keighran and Liam Farrell - to present the altert Zach Eckersley with a gift. That made it 12-4 at the interval.
Ryan Hall opened the scoring after the break, with his first try for Leeds since 2018. It came off a looping pass from Brodie Croft following a scrum near the visitors’ line. Then Jack Sinfield put up a kick which Wigan youngster Finlay Yeomans spilled and Harry Newman touched down. The latter was goaled, into the wind and from the touchline, by Connor to take his tally of conversions to three. As on Boxing Day against Wakefield, the full-back was good at both ends of the field. The penalty count was five-two in Wigan’s favour, which is something Leeds need to work on.
Leeds Rhinos: Connor, Sivo, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Frawley, Oledzki, Ackers, Palasia, Bentley, Gannon, C Smith. Subs McDonnell, Lisone, J Smith, Jenkins, Sinfield, Nicholson-Watton, Lumb, Diskin, Warren, Brown, Thomas, Holroyd.
Wigan Warriors: from Field, Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, H Smith, Dupree, Leeming, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis, Mago. Subs Byrne, Hill, Walters, Forber, Farrimond, Douglas, Makin, Kerr, Hodkinson, Hirst, Cartwright, Yeomans.
Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan). Attendance: 5,055.
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