Leeds Rhinos scholarship side put in a ruthless performance against local side Castleford Tigers at The Jungle defeating them 70-10. Mark Butterill’s Rhinos were clinical from start to finish with a high set completion rate making minimal errors. Defence stood tall all game, giving the Tigers no room to breathe and making them pay for every mistake forced. 

Seth Marchant opened the scoring as a wayward pass from the Castleford bounced from the Castleford players chest into the arms of the Rhinos scrumhalf who raced away 50 metres, converting his own try from under the posts, 6-0. In just the next set from kick-off, Rhinos fullback Liam Watson took the space in front of him from brilliant shape created on the Tigers 40m line to breakaway for the try, Marchant converted to make it 12-0. 

The Castleford side began to settle into the game as they forced a goal line dropout from the Rhinos. The Tigers took advantage of their pressure as Leo Ogilvie burrowed in for a scoot try on the Rhinos line, they try was converted, 12-6 Rhinos. Both sides continued to battle, finishing several sets with kicks but it was the Rhinos captain Brennan Townend who collected the ball from an offload in Castleford’s redzone, fending off the fullback to score, the conversion was successful, 18-6 Rhinos. 

With 10 minutes to go in the half, Leeds kept their foot on the pedal with centre Joseph Gill being put through a gap by scrum-half Seth Marchant to score on the corner, 22-6 Rhinos. The left edge of Leeds saw success all evening as winger Alfie Quinn crossed for two tries in 5 minutes to end the half, finishing both tries in dramatic diving fashion. Seth Marchant was only able to convert one of the two kicks from the touchline. The Rhinos headed back into the changing rooms with a commanding lead of 32-6.

The second half began as the first ended, with Sonny Hetherington scoring in the corner from a blind side play, the conversion being unsuccessful made the score 36-6 Rhinos. The Leeds forward pack showed immense grit and line speed forcing a Castleford knock on in their own twenty. The tenacity paid off in the next set as Noah Lunn jumped on a bobbling grubber under the Castleford posts to score, Marchant converted, 42-6. 

Leeds left edge continued to impress as they shifted the ball in their own half, breaking through the Castleford defensive line through Joseph Gill who gave an easy draw and pass for fullback Liam Watson to score. Marchant converted to make it 48-6. Jack Mears was next on the scoresheet as the standoff threw a brilliant dummy to go straight through and score under the posts, Leeds scrumhalf added the conversion to make it 54-6. 

Castleford kept on fighting after gaining good field position from a Leeds penalty. The Tigers took advantage, floating a long ball out to Luca Raspa in space, who dived in the corner to score. The tricky conversion was unsuccessful, 54-10 Rhinos. Leeds substitute Dexter Cooper scored almost instantly after taking the field, running a great lead line to crash over the whitewash which Seth Marchant converted to make the game 60-10. 

It was the Rhinos right winger Samuel Oldroyd who finished off Leeds penultimate try after a brilliant move saw the ball move through five sets of hands for the winger to walk in the corner untouched. Marchant’s unsuccessful conversion landed just short of the posts, 64-10 Rhinos with 10 minutes to go. 

Capping off a great captain’s performance was loose forward Brennan Townend who burst through the fatigued Castleford forwards with a barnstorming run, only the fullback to beat. Substitute Benjamin Smith was rewarded for his great support play as he took the two on one pass from Brennan to score between the posts. Seth Marchant converted the try taking the final score to an emphatic 70-10 over local rivals Castleford.