Finals Week 1
Leeds Rhinos 44 d. Hull KR 8

2009 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Walker remains in hospital
Mon September 21, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Former Great Britain centre Chev Walker will remain in hospital for another week after undergoing surgery on a compound fracture of his left leg.

The Hull Kingston Rovers player suffered the horrific injury in Friday's 44-8 Super League play-off defeat by his old club Leeds Rhinos at Headingley.

Television viewers could see part of his lower leg protrude through the skin after Walker fell awkwardly in a tackle by his opposite number Keith Senior.

He was rushed to hospital in Leeds, where he underwent surgery straight away, and a Hull KR spokesman said: "He is comfortable but will remain in hospital for another seven days."

Rovers coach Justin Morgan said: "I'd like to thank Chev for all his hard work this season and we wish him a speedy recovery."

Walker's place in the side for Saturday's preliminary semi-final against Wigan Warriors will be taken by New Zealander Jake Webster, who missed the Headingley game with a hamstring injury.

Rovers also expect to have full-back Shaun Briscoe, second rower Ben Galea and loose forward Scott Murrell back for the sudden-death tie at Craven Park.


Rhinos put Hull KR to the sword
Sat September 19, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Defending engage Super League champions Leeds Rhinos put an injury-hit Hull Kingston Rovers to the sword to move to within 80 minutes of a third successive Grand Final at Old Trafford.

Lee Smith and Ali Lauitiiti both scored two tries as the Rhinos scored 34 unanswered second-half points in tonight's qualifying play-off at Headingley to earn a week off and a home semi-final in a fortnight's time.

In a revolutionary new play-off system, Leeds will also get the chance to choose their semi-final opponents.

Hull KR will have another chance to make progress with a preliminary semi-final but will first hold a roll call after going into their first play-off without five regulars and then losing centre Chev Walker with a sickening injury after only 11 minutes.

Already without full-back Shaun Briscoe, loose forward Scott Murrell, second rower Ben Galea, utility player Ben Cockayne and centre Jake Webster, Rovers lost Walker with a suspected compound fracture of his left leg.

The former Leeds and Great Britain international, who missed nine matches earlier in the year with a shoulder injury, went down awkwardly in a tackle from his opposite number Keith Senior, who immediately called for medical assistance.

The match was held up for four minutes while Walker was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital.

Rovers were already trailing 4-0 by then thanks to centre Smith's sixth-minute try on his 100th appearance for the Rhinos.

The try was made by winger Scott Donald's brilliant take of Danny McGuire's high kick and Leeds could have been further ahead after dominating the opening quarter.

England captain Jamie Peacock caused all sorts of problems for the visitors' defence with his clever offloads and McGuire would have scored but for dropping Carl Ablett's pass with the line at his mercy.

Hull KR soaked up the pressure and hit back midway through the half when Daniel Fitzhenry, a third-choice full-back, jinked his way past wrong-footed defenders and stretched out of full-back Brent Webb's tackle to touch down.

Michael Dobson's simple conversion put Rovers into a 6-4 lead and he stretched it with a penalty after Leeds skipper Kevin Sinfield, unusually sporting a headguard to protect a facial injury, put a goal-line drop-out straight into touch.

However, Leeds regained the lead after half-an-hour when substitute Lauitiiti demonstrated his exceptional ball-handling skills to get the supporting Webb over for his 16th try of the season.

Sinfield made amends for his earlier miss by slotting the conversion between the uprights to give his side a 10-8 half-time lead.

Leeds' play became scrappy as they over-played their moves and it needed another well-judged kick from McGuire to get the scoreboard moving in the second half.

Left winger Ryan Hall, engage Super League's runaway leading tryscorer, was the creator, collecting McGuire's "bomb" and Senior got Lauitiiti stretching out for the line.

Sinfield was again off target but found the mark five minutes later when Lauitiiti took McGuire's superb short pass and crashed over for a second try that took the defending champions out to a 20-8 lead.

They then cut loose against dispirited opponents, with Hall finishing off a break by Webb to score his 30th try of the season, Smith profiting from a lucky bounce to get his second and Senior finishing off the scoring with a long-range try.

With Sinfield off the field, Smith converted the last two tries to put the finishing touches to a memorable display.

Leeds: Webb, Donald, Smith, Senior, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Diskin, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield.
Replacements: Lauitiiti, Kirke, Bailey, Worrall.

Hull KR: Fitzhenry, Fox, Walker, Welham, Colbon, Cooke, Dobson, Fozzard, Fisher, Wheeldon, Newton, Vella, I'Anson.
Replacements: Lovegrove, Netherton, Gene, Taylor.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens)

Comprehensive 2008 Super League Regular Season Stats

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Fri September 18, 2009
• Preview: Leeds (1) v Hull KR (4) - Semi Final #1
  
Fri September 18, 2009
• Headingley Insight: Leeds v Hull KR
  
Tue September 15, 2009
• Your guide to the new engage Super League playoffs
  

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