Leeds Rhinos Academy 24 Wigan Warriors Academy 28

In their final game of the 2023 Academy season, Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors played out a high quality contest at Stanningley, with the visitors walking away with a 28-24 result.

Despite going down to twelve players for most of the second half, the Rhinos rallied to post three second half tries from Kyden Frater, Riley Lumb and Bobby Hartley but were left to rue big scoring opportunities in the final ten minutes.

As the sun beat down at Stanningley in the first half, the Warriors kept the young Rhinos to just one try whilst scoring three themselves. A tight opening few minutes saw Fergus McCormack come close for Leeds, but Wigan countered off the back of ill-discipline from their opponents. Camped on the Rhinos try line, Thomas Ratchford came close with a dart out of dummy half but on the next play, John Duffy’s side got the ball through hands to Geore O’Loughlin, who powered through Dylan Proud and Shane Tuohey to get the opening score.

The Warriors kept the pressure up as Ratchford came close again out of dummy half but Leeds were able to hold off the attack and go down the opposite end of the field to equalise. Winger Kyden Frater had announced his return to the Rhinos side with two tries against Huddersfield last time out and he made sure he was among the scorers again as he kept a last tackle play alive to beat three defenders and score a great solo effort. Riley Lumb converted to make the score 6-6 after 15 minutes.

The visitors remained unfazed and managed to extend their lead thanks to two tries in a ten minutes from Taylor Kerr. With the young Rhinos finding themselves on the backfoot due to set restarts, Wigan sensed an opportunity and pounced as a run from Trent Kelly-Duffy saw Ratchford feed Kerr, who ran clean under the sticks to score. The loose forward wasn’t done there and benefited from an offload from prop Kelly-Duffy to get his second of the game. Jack Farrimond’s kicking saw the half back slot all three goals to make the score 18-6 approaching the break.

Leeds’ spirits took a brief hit when Harrison Gilmore was shown a red card for a high tackle on Lukas Mason on the half time whistle, but as the teams came out for the second period, the home side never looked to suffer from being a man down.

The tempo a tightly fought second half was quick as the Rhinos tried to fight back. An error from the restart saw Wigan caught offside as Maddix Jeffery kicked the ball up into the arms of Dylan Kelly-Duffy. With the line in sight, Leeds held their nerve and got their reward when Mason Corbett teed up Bobby Hartley, who rumbled his way over from close range. Lumb’s conversion drew the score to 18-12.

It didn’t take long for Wigan to retaliate; this time it was a break from Noah Hodkinson that set up Harry Higham up to score even though the winger was almost caught by his opposite number Proud.

Leeds kept themselves in the fight with a second Frater try. The Warriors had the scrum feed after Tom Stevens had lost the ball close to the try line, but as the ball came out to Josh Cartwright, the centre lost control of the ball and Frater was there to steal it and score.

Both sides continued to fight tooth and nail as the half progressed. Findley Irwin reacted quickest to Farrimond’s kick ahead to edge Wigan further ahead again, but the Rhinos benefited from another solo try, this time from Riley Lumb, to keep the scoreline to within four points with ten minutes left.

Desperate for the win, Leeds kept fighting and thought they had taken the lead when Proud leaped up to take hanging kick and score before the dead ball line, but the referee brought the play back as the winger was offside. The clock inevitably proved to be the young Rhinos’ enemy though as the Warriors held on to claim a 28-24 win.

Rhinos Academy

1. Riley Lumb, 2. Dylan Proud, 3. Harry Taylor, 4. Ned McCormack, 5. Kyden Frater, 6. Fergus McCormack, 7. Shane Tuohey, 8. Freddie Brennan-Jones, 9. Mason Corbett, 10. Joe Phillips, 11. Jack Johnson, 12. Harrison Gilmore, 13. Declan White.

Subs: 14. Zach McSwiney, 15. Bobby Hartley, 16. Tom Stevens, 17. Jack Iceton (18th Man - Will Todd)

Tries: Frater (16,50), Hartley (42), Lumb (68)

Goals: Lumb 4/4

Sent off: Gilmore (39)

Wigan Warriors Academy

1. Noah Hodkinson, 2. Maddox Jeffery, 3. Joshua Cartwright, 4. George O'Loughlin, 5. Harry Higham, 6. Charlie Yeomans, 7. Jack Farrimond, 8. Trent Kelly-Duffy, 9. Thomas Ratchford, 10. Kian McDermott, 11. Lukas Mason 12. Finlay Irwin, 13. Taylor Kerr

Subs: 22. Reece Rowcroft, 14. Joseph Baldwin, 15. Ryan Brown, 16. Dylan Kelly-Duffy

Tries: O'Loughlin (8), Kerr (22, 34), Higham (47), Irwin (65)

Goals: Farrimond 4/5