Leeds Rhinos run in 16 tries in huge Challenge Cup win v Wests Warriors

No records were broken, but Ryan Hall and Sam Lisone both scored a hat-trick out of Rhinos’ total of 16 touchdowns and it was the third-highest total in Leeds’ history. The Super League side were ruthless in their approach against Southern Conference opponents – though it has to be said they didn’t exactly rush their conversions – and the fact coach Brad Arthur fielded close to a full-strength side said a lot about his winning mindset going into the new campaign.

Warriors did have some Super League experience in the shape of winger Ilies Macani who scored nine tries in 29 top-flight appearances with London Broncos. That included a touchdown at Headingley last July, in the game when Leeds won by a Brodie Croft drop goal in golden-point extra-time.

It’s unlikely any team visiting Headingley this year will try harder, but the Londoners were a long way out of their depth and it was effectively an opposed training session for Leeds. That said, the amateurs did have a couple of notable moments, particularly excellent ball-and-all tackles by Judd Greenhalgh on Croft and, spectacularly, Tama Gribble who wrapped up Connor on the last. They also managed to drag Handley down just short and hold up Keenan Palasia over the line.

They had one try scoring chance when Macani kicked ahead, but the ball went dead before Jacob Thomas could get to it. After half an hour, with Wests looking very tired, Leeds took off their starting props and brought on Tom Holroyd and Sam Lisone, who have both played international rugby. Lisone enjoyed himself hugely, scoring back-to-back tries straight after the interval.

The worry for Leeds was they might pick up an injury, a week out from Super League round one. And they did, Jack Sinfield - who had an excellent game, starting at hooker and then switching into the halves - hobbling off after an hour.

The win ended a club record four-match losing streak in the Challenge Cup. It was the first time Leeds had won in front of a crowd in that competition – though not a big one, just 1,310 scattered around the two open stands –since 2019. Rhinos scored in their first set, through Hall from Croft’s kick, but handling errors by Croft and Riley Lumb let the amateurs off the hook before the latter went over from Ash Handley’s pass. That made it 10-0 and the first half continued in similar fashion as Leeds added six more tries, through Connor, Sinfield, Hall again, Cameron Smith, Morgan Gannon and Matt Frawley.

Sinfield’s was probably the best touchdown, from a lovely break and flick pass by Smith. Sinfield, playing out of position at hooker, did good work for Frawley’s touchdown, judging his offload nicely after breaking out of acting-half.

The second half was even more of a procession after Lisone bagged a brace of tries in the opening seven minutes. Sinfield scored his second, Alfie Edgell - playing at centre - marked his return from a broken jaw with a touchdown, Holroyd scored a belter from Frawley’s kick, Hall completed his hat-trick and Lisone did the same.

Remarkably, Rhinos managed to lose the penalty count, which was four-two in Warriors’ favour, after being two-two at half-time. Here’s how the scoring went.

2: Ryan Hall try, Jake Connor goal. 6-0

9: Riley Lumb try. 10-0

11: Connor try, Connor goal. 16-0.

14: Jack Sinfield try, Connor goal. 22-0.

17: Hall try, Connor goal. 28-0.

26: Cameron Smith try, Connor goal. 34-0.

29: Morgan Gannon try. 38-0.

34: Matt Frawley try, Connor goal. 44-0.

44: Sam Lisone try, Connor goal. 50-0.

47: Lisone try, Connor goal. 56-0.

49: Sinfield try, Connor goal, 62-0.

54: Alfie Edgell try, Connor goal. 68-0.

57: Tom Holroyd try, Connor goal 74-0.

60: Hall try, Connor goal. 80-0.

65: Gannon try, Connor goal. 86-0.

71: Lisone try, Connor goal. 92-0.

Leeds Rhinos: Connor, Lumb, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Frawley, Oledzki, Jenkins, Sinfield, Palasia, McDonnell, Gannon, C Smith. Subs Ackers, Lisone, Edgell, Holroyd.

Wests Warriors: Nahu, Macani, Gribble, Nichols, Walker, Thomas, Payne, Robinson, Thorman, Laumatia-Paki, Poching Johnson-Thomas, O’Callaghan. Subs Devlin, Griffiths, M Greenhalgh, J Greenhalgh.

Referee: Matty Lynn (Stockton-on-Tees). Attendance: 1,310.