THIS was an utter annihilation by Leeds, who completed the first part of a domestic treble with contemptuous ease against horribly exposed opponents. Hull Kingston Rovers’ triumph was in reaching the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final. For much of yesterday they stood transfixed, hapless in the face of the rampant Rhinos and, most damningly, failing to register a solitary point on their first appearance in the sport’s Wembley showpiece for 29 years.
Tom Briscoe was once a scourge of Rovers for cross-city rivals Hull FC. His five-try feat, surpassing Leroy Rivett’s record of four in Leeds’ 1999 final defeat of London Broncos, came a month after his return from shoulder surgery that had kept him sidelined since the early weeks of the season. Briscoe left full-back Kieran Dixon and Josh Mantellato, playing opposite him, bewitched, bothered and bewildered. His joyous skip through the tattered remnants of a defence run ragged brought his scarcely-believable fifth try two minutes from the end.
Leeds had endured six cup losses before they ended their drought in the competition against Castleford 12 months ago.
They defended the trophy with the sort of pyrotechnics that have been their stock in trade for much of the summer. The score easily overhauled the previous winning margin in the Rhinos’ 52-16 triumph over the Broncos 16 years ago. For their last Wembley appearance, it was a fitting tribute to the departing trio of Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai, who were all magnificent.
On the day a statue outside Wembley was unveiled to a league quintet of Alex Murphy, Billy Boston, Martin Offiah, Gus Risman and Eric Ashton, Sinfield and Peacock gilded their legendary status. Leeds already have one hand on the League Leaders’ Shield, and the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 10 is when Brian McDermott’s side hope to complete the club’s first treble in the 20-year Super League era. After this statement of intent, who can honestly doubt them?
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Rovers are by nature an adventurous side, so to play as conservatively as they did simply invited trouble, although on the scale it did was in no-one’s imagination. Albert Kelly, his knee heavily strapped after a ligaments injury in the semi-final, kicked long in the vain hope it would yield Leeds errors. It simply played into the hands of the merciless Rhinos, whose first three of nine tries in the opening 19 minutes crushed any hopes of a classic to mark the sport’s 120th anniversary.
While the Leeds backs stood like greyhounds in the slips, their opposite numbers were rabbits in headlights. Kelly conjured a notable moment late in the half but the game had already slipped away. With Sinfield’s skilled guiding hand at dummy-half and Adam Cuthbertson and Peacock offloading at any opportunity, the 9-2 underdogs were ridiculously easy prey.
Peacock had looked set to score the first try beneath the posts. Frenchman Kevin Larroyer stripped him of possession, the bobbling ball went backwards and was seized upon by Brett Delaney.
When Shaun Lunt created room in a rare attack for Tyrone McCarthy, the ball was lost and Leeds made hay. Sinfield and Peacock cleverly combined down the right for the rampaging Joel Moon to send Danny McGuire clear on the scrum-half’s 400th career appearance.
Sinfield converted from wide out, while the restart could not have gone any worse for Rovers. Ryan Hall shrugged off Kelly and hared up the left flank.
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Carl Ablett provided support, before play was swung right for Briscoe to track inside off his wing in beating the inadequate tackles of Kris Welham and Graeme Horne for the game’s first try.
Hull KR’s lack of conviction was horribly exposed within seven minutes of the resumption, when Maurice Blair dinked a cross-field kick more in hope than expectation.
Dixon inexplicably ducked as the ball ended up in the midriff of Briscoe, who kicked his way clear and put his head back in glancing once behind him. Ken Sio pursued him from one wing to the other, but Briscoe was too fast and powerful in polishing off his second touchdown.
Damage limitation was always the height of Rovers’ ambitions after that. Even then they lamentably failed.
Rob Burrow’s short pass for Brad Singleton to crash over was bizarrely simple and when Briscoe claimed his third try, as Peacock again worked the right side with Watkins, the white flag went up.
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Watkins’ break down the middle made room for the unstoppable Burrow, before everything was channelled Briscoe’s way. The England wing convincingly picked off his fourth and fifth tries, with joyous aplomb.
Star man: Tom Briscoe (Leeds)
Hull KR: Dixon; Mantellato, Welham, Salter, Sio; Blair, Kelly; Walker, Lunt, Puletua, Larroyer, Horne, McCarthy. Replacements: Boudebza, Donaldson, Tilse, Allgood
Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker; Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall; Sinfield, McGuire; Garbutt, Cuthbertson, Peacock, Ward, Ablett, Delaney. Replacements: Burrow, Leuluai, Achurch, Singleton