MATCH REPORT - Leigh Centurions 34 - 18 Newcastle Thunder

Gutsy Thunder give Leigh Centurions a run for their money at Leigh Sports Village

A highly creditable performance wasn’t enough for Newcastle Thunder to upset the formbook on Sunday afternoon, as they fell to a 34-18 defeat to Leigh Centurions in the Betfred Championship.

Relegated from Super League for the 2022 season, Adrian Lam’s Leigh have proven to be a formidable challenge in the opening rounds of the season, with a free-scoring attack and mean defence taking five wins from six games.

And while that run continued, Thunder can take heart from their showing that yielded three tires and provided a firm response to last week’s Challenge Cup loss to York City Knights.

Both sides flew out of the blocks in the opening minutes but errors for both saw the scoreboard untroubled by those early efforts.

Thunder enjoyed the brighter start and broke through the Leigh defence with just four minutes played when on loan Wigan youngster Umyla Hanley, son of the legendary Ellery, was played into space and dove in at the corner.

A foot in touch in the build up meant the try wasn’t given, but it gave early warning that Thunder had travelled fully intending to play.

The errors continued to frustrate both sides as the half progressed before the hosts made the first impression with 20 minutes gone, as Nene Macdonald gathered a well-weighted fifth tackle kick on the Thunder line and resisted the efforts of Gideon Boafo to hold him up.

The response from Newcastle was immediate though and a converted try three minutes later saw the visitors take a two-point lead.

Completing a quick play-the-ball Thunder whipped the play out left, with a show and go from Sam Halsall giving the other dual-registered Wigan player the space he needed to power through the cover defenders.

The tempo of the game saw both sides tiring as the half entered its final ten minutes, but the Centurions clinically punished further errors from Thunder, scoring three converted tries to take a commanding lead into the break.

A break through the middle from Macdonald created the first, with good interplay and support setting up Ben Reynolds, before fullback Caleb Aekins used his impressive pace to ghost pass the Thunder defence.

Leigh’s purple patch concluded with Aaron Smith diving over from close range, but Newcastle had the last word of the half as Isaac Nokes crossed after a flowing passing move, only to be held up in goal.

Though the score-line suggested otherwise, Thunder were firmly in the game and started the second half as strongly as they did the first, but an against the run of play try for Aekins kept the scoring momentum with the hosts.

Newcastle made a positive response to that setback though and sent Jesse Dee over for a converted try with 50 minutes gone, as quick hands pulled open a gap in the defensive line that the Aussie burst through.

It was the start of a long spell that Thunder spent camped deep in Leigh’s half with three repeat sets seeing them hammering away at the try-line, but one that frustratingly saw possession handed over before conceding another try that arrested the momentum Newcastle had built.

Though that score had put the result beyond doubt, Eamon O’Carroll’s men continued to attack the Centurions with purpose and had the last word of the game through home-grown centre Nokes.

Breaking through the defensive line on half-way, the 20-year-old academy graduate evaded a cover tap tackle as he surged forward, before wrong-footing Aekins to finish off a superb individual score and allow Thunder to take positives from a much-improved showing. 

Newcastle Thunder

1 Craig Mullen, 31 Umyla Hanley, 4 Sam Halsall, 23 Isaac Nokes, 5 Gideon Boafo, 6 Jake Shorrocks, 7 Josh Woods, 8 Nathan Wilde, 9 Josh Eaves, 15 Ted Chapelhow, 3 Jesse Dee, 11 Alex Foster, 13 Sam Hallas

Interchanges

19 Pat Moran, 21 Lewis Peachey, 12 Brad Day, 26 Matty Nicholson

Tries: Halsall (24), Dee (51), Nokes (70)

Goals: Shorrocks 3/3

Leigh Centurions

1 Caleb Aekins, 2 Jy Hitchcox, Ed Chamberlain, 4 Nene Macdonald, 3 Keanan Brand, 6 Ben Reynolds, 7 Joe Mellor, 8 Adam Sidlow, 9 Aaron Smith, 13 Taealoaloa Amone, 11 Joe Wardle, 12 Sam Stone, 18 John Asiata, 

Interchanges 

10 Mark Ioane, 17 Jacob Jones, 15 Mafoa'aeata Hingano, 22 James McDonnell, 

Tries - Macdonald (20), Reynolds (29), Aekins (32, 47), Smith (36) Brand (65)

Goals - Reynolds 5/6