26 Jun 2024

St Helens U16 6 Leeds Rhinos U16 16

Bu Guy Harvey

Tries from Tom Richardson, Jack Smith and Sonny Hetherington meant that the Rhinos brought a 16-6 win back home against St Helens on a night where both sides could be proud of their defensive efforts.

Leeds did it begin the game in great fashion kicking the ball out on the full allowing the home side to begin their set in the Rhinos half and crashing over for the try seconds later in the shape of centre Luke Brighouse, converted by Alfie Maden. Both sides then began an arm wrestle and neither wanted to lose the battle in defence but with both sides working that hard in defence errors began to creep in the game.

However, Leeds hit back shortly after when winger Tom Richardson received the ball thanks to quick thinking from dummy half Harvey Butterworth opting to go down the blind side and with quick hands it gave Richardson room to dive over in the corner. With a touch line conversion from Zak Lloyd the Rhinos were back on level points.

Both sides wanted to take the lead but the defence on the night was near perfect from both teams and it would see a point scored until six minutes before the half, when Butterworth and Sonny Hetheringtoncombined again the dummy half spotting the Saints defence tight, allowing Butterworth to fire a bullet pass right out to the centre diving over in the corner but the conversion this time missed sending the Rhinos in to the half time break 10-6 ahead.

Leeds started the second half strong in defence again keeping the home side confined in their own half for most of the game. Their great moments in the half including dangerous runs from full back Wade White, second row forward Zak Lloyd regularly breaking the line to name just a couple of stand out performances.

But Leeds looked to have extended their lead when forward Logan Staveley-Carr crashed over under the posts, but referee adjudged him to have moved after being held. But with sixty minutes on the clock Leeds finally broke the Saints defence and squeezed over on the right edge with winger Jack Smith touching down with Zak Lloyd converting from the touchline again gave Leeds a 16-6 lead which wouldn’t be altered for the rest of the game.

St.Helens Scholarship

Jack Campbell

Ollie Roby

Luke Brighouse

Jacob Taylor

Noah Carter

Tyler McGann

Alfie Maden

Ewan Gilford

James Patterson

Declan Lyon

Oscar Knox