Round 1
Huddersfield Giants 10 l. Leeds Rhinos 30

2008 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Hall justifies selection as Leeds account for Huddersfield
Mon February 11, 2008
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Young winger Ryan Hall justified his surprise selection with two long-range tries as champions Leeds Rhinos destroyed Huddersfield Giants by 30-10 in front of their record engage Super League crowd of 15,629.

The 20-year-old, given the nod by Rhinos coach Brian McClennan ahead of last week's two-try hero Lee Smith, responded with a spectacular double either side of half-time on only his 10th appearance for the club.

Full-back Brent Webb also scored two tries as Leeds displayed further evidence of their determination to hang on to their title, while providing Huddersfield with an indication of the size of the task ahead of them if they are once more reach the play-offs.

Webb was quick off the mark to follow up grubber kicks from Matt Diskin and Danny McGuire to claim both his tries in the first period and he was also responsible for the game's pivotal moment midway through the half.

Huddersfield's pacy left winger Rod Jensen demonstrated powerful finishing to score an 11th-minute try and he looked destined to go over again after being released by his centre Paul Whatuira until Webb came up with a try-saving tackle.

The Giants, who had four men making their debut, had their moments but they lacked the penetration to seriously trouble the champions, who were solid in defence and more potent than their opponents in attack.

Second-rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan was put through a gap by McGuire for their second try while Hall sprinted 60 metres to touch down just before the interval after substitute Ali Lauitiiti offloaded from the tackle.

Hall surpassed his first effort four minutes into the second half, snapping up Kevin Brown's floated pass intended for Jensen and showing a clean pair of heels on a 90-metre dash to the line.

Debutant scrum-half Luke Robinson gave Huddersfield brief hope of a comeback when he went over for a solo try on 63 minutes, to which Chris Thorman added the goal, but they had given themselves too much to do.

They kept their visitors at bay in the final quarter with Leeds having to rely on a solitary penalty from Rob Burrow for their only points.

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

Article: Sharp not happy


Headingley Insight: Leeds v Huddersfield
Sat February 9, 2008
Source: www.leedsrugby.com

In this weeks edition of Headingley Carnegie Insight, Leeds coach Brian McClennan looks ahead to the Rhinos game at Huddersfield Giants this Sunday, kick off 3pm.

WERE YOU PLEASED WITH LAST WEEK'S PERFORMANCE?
We certainly improved as the game went on and I thought we finished strongly. Hull KR are a very good side who will get plenty of wins this season. It was a great way for us to start the season but now we need to look ahead to Huddersfield and face a fresh set of challenges.

ARE YOU WARY OF HUDDERSEFIELD?
This will be their first game of the season and they are at home so that will certainly mean that they will be ready for us. They are a club who will learn from their past. Last season they flew home at the end of the season but they had a tough start to the season and they will want to avoid a repeat of that. They will be making sure that they are working hard from the word go and we will have to turn up knowing that we have to match them.

WILL YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES THIS WEEK?
Ryan Hall will get the nod on the wing this week after impressing in training and in the pre-season games. Ryan and Lee Smith have been going toe to toe as they fight for the position in the team, as has every player in the team. Everyone is playing for their shirt and a spot for the Carnegie World Club Challenge and that brings the best out of the players every day in training. Lee is working hard on his game and I have no doubt he will keep pushing Ryan all the way. But Ryan deserves his chance this week, as Lee did last week, with his performances in training and the good things he did in the South Sydney game.
It has been really good to see Nick Scruton back training and playing this season after a tough couple of years with injuries. We are bringing him along slowly so that we get the best out of him this year. We have got three props in the squad but Ian Kirke and Ali Lauitiiti can both play there as well so we have plenty of options. That give us a bit more mobility and we will need that against Huddersfield, who are a mobile team. This squad suits this particular game well. We also have Jamie Jones-Buchanan back available and having him available means that he goes straight back in the side, such is his importance to the team.

BURROW GOES IN SEARCH OF CENTURY
Rhinos star Rob Burrow is just one try short of becoming only the 23rd player in the club's history to score 100 tries in a career as the Champions head to Huddersfield Giants this Sunday, kick off 3pm.

Head Coach Brian McClennan has made two changes to his 18 man squad from last weeks opening day win over Hull KR. Ryan Hall replaces Lee Smith on the wing whilst young prop Luke Burgess is included at the expense of Nick Scruton.

Rhinos Kevin Sinfield is looking to continue his points scoring run that goes back to 2nd July 2006 having played and scored in the last 42 successive matches.

The 18 man squad in full is:

1 Brent Webb
2 Scott Donald
3 Clinton Toopi
4 Keith Senior
6 Danny McGuire
7 Rob Burrow
8 Kylie Leuluai
9 Matt Diskin
10 Jamie Peacock
11 Jamie Jones-Buchanan
12 Gareth Ellis
13 Kevin Sinfield
14 Ali Lauitiiti
16 Ryan Bailey
18 Ian Kirke
19 Carl Ablett
22 Ryan Hall
24 Luke Burgess

News sent by: www.leedsrugby.com

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