Featherstone Rovers 20 Leigh Centurions 75 by Mike Hulme: LEADERS Leigh sounded a mighty warning to Hull KR ahead of next Sunday's Arriva Trains Cup final with a sensational 13-try demolition of fancied Featherstone.
The Centurions marched to a sixth straight win after scoring an incredible eight tries in the opening 26 minutes on their way to a massive 47-0 half time lead.
They came up against some stronger resistance after half time but they still inflicted a record defeat on Rovers.
Coach Darren Abram was understandably delighted. "It was sheer perfection in that first half.
"Props Heath Cruckshank and Mat Sturm set the platform, young Mick Govin came in at hooker for his debut and was exceptional and half backs John Duffy and Tommy Martyn had eager runners all over the place. It was sensational to watch," he said.
Opposite number Gary Price was shell-shocked by the margin of the defeat, especially coming on the back of victories over Whitehaven and Batley.
"I would like to congratulate Leigh on a tremendous performance," he said. "That was probably as good a half of football as you'll see anywhere in the world."
From the moment Duffy sent Danny Halliwell in for the first of his hat-trick of tries, Leigh looked in awesome form. By the 27th minute they were 46-0 up as Halliwell completed his treble with two long range interceptions. There were other touchdowns from Cruckshank, Rob Smyth (2), Dan Potter and Govin, with Turley adding seven goals before retiring with a cut nose. Martyn weighed in with a drop goal just before half time.
Rovers did put up more of a fight in the second half and scored through Jamie Stokes (2), Richard Newlove and Steve Dooler, but they still could not stop leaking tries at the other end.
Duffy, Martyn, Oliver Wilkes, Simon Knox and Ben Cooper all crossed for further Leigh tries with Smyth adding four goals.
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