Leeds Rhinos Academy 50 Wakefield Trinity Academy 24

Leeds Rhinos Academy put their recent form behind them as the young Rhinos ran nine tries passed Wakefield Trinity in a 50-24 result at Stanningley.

Most of the game was played in hot conditions as the sun shone over Stanningley’s Arthur Miller Stadium; a stark contrast to when the game was postponed earlier in the season due to snow.

The Rhinos took a hit early on when Cain Staveley-Carr barrelled his way over the line from short range, but Tony Smith’s side quickly found their feet when Tom Stevens crashed over. Efforts by Declan Ementon and Dylan Proud had been thwarted by Trinity, but some quick play between half backs Fergus McCormack and Shane Tuohey managed to feed Stevens, who ran a great line to get over for the try.

As soon as the home side got their first try, they were away as McCormack doubled the lead with a great show of agility going for the try line. Hooker Mason Corbett also followed suit as the hooker got a quick play of the ball from Bobby Hartley and darted out of dummy half for another good try. Jack Smith was accurate with the kicking tee to make the score 18-6 to Leeds.

Trinity hit back as the half approached it’s climax as a break by Oliver Pratt was well supported by Jimmy McHale, who had enough pace to beat Dylan Proud to the try line. It would be the Rhinos that had the last laugh though as more good play from Leeds’ spine saw McCormack connect up with Riley Lumb as the full back breezed through to touch down. Smith’s conversion made the half time score 24-12.

The start to the second half saw Leeds continue where they left off as Ben Littlewood got over inside of five minutes. Coming out of the changing rooms with the same attitude as they ended the first half, sub Bobby Hartley timed his pass well to put Littlewood through and hole and he wasn’t going to be caught before he got the ball down.

Oliver Pratt's score on the hour mark kept the visitors in the fight, until outside backs Smith and Ned McCormack all but put the game to bed. Fergus McCormack was at the heart of Leeds’ attack again as the half fired a well timed pass for Smith to jog in at the corner, before the two brothers combined with Fergus setting Ned up for his first of the game. Smith was good with the latter try to make the score 40-18 with ten minutes left.

Trinity’s Harvey Smith wowed the Stanningley crowd with a great show of pace to score under the posts, but the game was far from done as Ned McCormack’s second saw the centre score brilliantly from a designed scrum play. On the other edge, Smith crowned the win with his second too; the former Featherstone Lions player benefitting from a break from Dylan Proud and Tuohey finding a wide pass to send him in for the ninth and final Rhinos try to make the full time score 50-24.

Teams:

Rhinos

Riley Lumb, Dylan Proud, Jack Smith, Ned McCormack, Kai Taylor-Smith, Fergus McCormack, Shane Tuohey, Leo Aliyu, Mason Corbett, Ben Littlewood, Harrison Gilmore, Tom Stevens, Declan Ementon

Subs: Tayler Stephenson, Bobby Hartley, Jack Iceton, Jack Johnson

Tries: Stevens (17), F.McCormack (24), Corbett (29), Lumb (40), Littlewood (45), J.Smith (63, 79), N.McCormack (68, 76)

Goals: J.Smith 7/9

Wakefield

Will Brough, Jimmy McHale, Tom Delaney, Oliver Pratt, Harry Teale, Jack Easton, Harvey Smith, Charles Tetley, Cass Walker-Smith, Harvey Roberts, Cain Staveley-Carr, Dominic Sinfield, Ashton Winks

Subs: Brook Stanley, Hakan Aydin, Will McCardle

Tries: Staveley-Carr (6), McHale (33), Delaney (59), H.Smith (72)

Goals: Brough 4/4