Kevin Sinfield breaks club points record
Kevin Sinfield broke Leeds’ all time point scoring record with a personal tally of 20 as Leeds defeated Salford 56-16.
Sinfield overtook Lewis Jones, who posted a total of 2,920 points for the Lioners before his retirement in 1964.
The record was broken on the back of Zak Hardaker’s hat trick try, allowing Sinfield the chance to convert and smash the 48 year-old record.
The game was noting short of an embarrassment for Phil Veivers’ side, as Leeds raced away to a 32-4 lead at half time.
However Salford got the first points on the board after Stewart Howarth’s grubber kick bamboozled the Leeds defence and bounced up nicely for Vinnie Anderson.
Leeds quickly equalised, Chris Clarkson’s break was supported by Zak Hardaker who scored out wide for the Rhinos.
Brett Webb spilled Brett Delaney’s offload with the try line begging before the two linked up again, this time to score. Brett Delaney was the recipient of Webb’s pass and gave Leeds some breathing space on the score board.
Wakins extended Leeds lead after Danny McGuire’s break exposed the Salford defence. Despite being tackled short of the try line, the ball travelled through the hands of Sinfield and Webb before Watkins took advantage of the overlap on the right side.
Kevin Sinfield got himself a significant try which edged him closer to Lewis Jones’ all time point scoring record. Ben Jones-Bishop made the break and had several Salford defenders closing him down. However Jones-Bishop’s kick found Sinfield who crashed over for the try.
The luck was going all Leeds’ way and that couldn’t have been better demonstrated by Liam Hood’s try. Danny McGuire’s kick bounced off a Salford defender, into the hands of Carl Ablett who passed inside to Hood for the try.
Leeds showed why they were champions of the world in the build up for Danny McGuire’s try. Several offloads later and a mini break from Watkins, McGuire found himself scoring in the corner.
Hardaker grabbed his second from a wonderful solo effort. Rather than kick the ball on the last, Leeds threw the ball wide and the Salford defence seemingly refused to touch him as he ran rings around the Reds to touch down.
Sinfield was then given the opportunity to break Jones’ record with a conversion close to the touch line, which he duly took. It came off the back of Hardaker’s hat trick try, which was made more difficult than it should have been for the Rhinos.
Hardaker made the break along the left side, offloading to Ablett who looked clear. However the Salford defenders closed him down, before passing outside to Webb who once again found Hardaker for the hat trick.
Rob Burrow and Carl Ablett added more misery to Salford’s woes before Gareth Owen and Luke Patten added consolation for then Reds, but the night belonged to Sinfield with a points tally now standing at 2,925.
Salford tries: Anderson, Owen, Patten. Goals: Holdsworth 2/3
Leeds tries: Hardaker (3), Delaney, Watkins, Sinfield, Hood, McGuire, Burrow, Ablett. Goals: Sinfield 8/10
Salford: Patten; Gibson, Nero, Gleeson, Williams; Holdsworth, Smith; McPherson, Howarth, Jewitt; Ashurst, Anderson, Wild. Subs: Adamson, Palea’aesina, Owen, James.
Leeds: Webb; Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Hardaker, Hall; Sinfield, McGuire; Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock; Clarkson, Delaney, Ablett. Subs: Kirke, Griffin, Moore, Hood.
Referee: Robert Hicks
Attendance: 6,891
Luke George scored a hat trick as Huddersfield thrashed Castleford 42-4 at the Galpharm Stadium.
George’s first came just after 10 minutes, and from that point onwards it was all Huddersfield.
Greg Eden, Joe Wardle and Larne Patrick all scored before the break. George completed his hat trick just before half time as Kevin Brown and Michael Lawrence both added a try apiece to complete the scoring rout for the Giants.