Super show sinks rivals

Mar 25 2002 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

From then on, however, it was virtually one-way traffic, with the Giants having increased their lead to 12-4 by the break.

That advantage came courtesy of a close-range bullocking run to the line from Darren Turner following excellent approach play from Dave Atkins, Cooper and Thorman.

McNamara failed with the conversion attempt, but the visitors had opened up a gap that Leigh always looked incapable of plugging.

Within five minutes of the restart McNamara added his second penalty and two minutes later Crabtree was celebrating his second try.

A superb break from Gene set the ball rolling and, with the Leigh defence stretched, Thorman carried on the good work by kicking through for Crabtree to pounce.

Former Leigh favourite Heath Cruckshank was sin-binned for holding down during another spell of home pressure which was again thwarted by the magnificent visiting defence.

But when Turley was sin-binned for a similar offence four minutes later, Leigh's last chance disappeared with him.

While last season's NFP player of the year was in the dug-out, Thorman was racing over for a brilliant solo try.

Collecting the ball inside his own 20, the Giants scrum half dummied his way through the cover and outpaced full-back Mark McCully to score a scintillating try.

Four minutes later more misery was being piled on the Leigh as the alert Graeme Hallas intercepted Willie Swann's pass and raced under the posts for McNamara to add the extras.