Warrington double up against Leeds to ruin Kevin Sinfield’s big night

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/24/leeds-warrington-super-league-match-report

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Warrington put a dampener on Kevin Sinfield’s 500th appearance for Leeds when they completed a notable double over the Super League leaders at Headingley.

Sinfield was on the losing side on his debut for the Rhinos against Sheffield Eagles at Headingley in 1997 and he was powerless to prevent a repeat on this landmark occasion.

The Rhinos were already trailing 20-4 when the former England captain entered the action five minutes into the second half and it did not get much better as the Yorkshiremen came up with their worst performance of the season in front of a 17,430 crowd.

Warrington had produced their best display in an 18-6 win over Leeds in March and they were again outstanding, with the full-back, Stefan Ratchford, and second-row Ben Currie the pick of an impressive bunch.

Leeds had an early chance when the prop Adam Cuthbertson was held up over the line but then it was virtually all Warrington. The loose forward Ben Harrison was held up on his back before his back-row partner Currie produced a measured grubber kick on the last tackle to create a try for the winger Gene Ormsby.

It was then Harrison’s turn to demonstrate his kicking skills to get his captain Joel Monaghan in for a second try although there was a strong hint of a forward pass in the build-up.

It got even better for the visitors on 23 minutes when the prop Ashton Sims took the hooker Mick Higham’s pass near the line to go through a gaping hole for a third try.

The introduction of the forward Mitch Achurch helped perk up the Rhinos in the last 10 minutes of the first period and they pulled a try back when the winger Kallum Watkins finished off a flowing move at the corner.

The Leeds captain entered the action five minutes into the second half but his side had conceded again after a break by the lively substitute Daryl Clark created the position for Ratchford to get Currie over for Warrington’s fourth try.

Ormsby’s neat offload then enabled the substitute prop Roy Asotasi to score his first try for more than 12 months.

The home side pulled a try back five minutes later through Achurch and Sinfield kicked the goal but it was little more than consolation and the Wolves had the final say when their stand-off, Declan Patton, slotted a drop goal to open his account for the club on his third appearance.

Elsewhere Tommy Makinson took the honours as St Helens ended their dismal run of only one victory in five Super League matches with a 34-16 triumph at home to Widnes.

The full-back scored a spectacular long-range try to seal the win eight minutes from time and also set up another touchdown for the youthful Matty Fleming.

Luke Walsh, making his first start of the season after breaking his leg last July, had made only two substitute appearances recently but also showed what Saints have been missing. The 27-year-old scrum-half scored a try and helped create two others for Travis Burns and Alex Walmsley.