Record-breaker Brierley helps Leigh Centurions record a victory against Wakefield Trinity in penultimate game of season

Leigh Centurions’ Ryan Brierley scored a hat-trick of tries to help his side to their second win of the Super League season as they beat Wakefield Trinity 26-18.

On a momentous day for the 29-year-old, his three tries against Trinity moved him up to second in the club’s all-time scoring charts.

In their final home game of the season, the Centurions evidently wanted to bow out in front of their fans on a high and came out of the traps quickly once the game got underway.

James Bell and Brendan Elliott went close early on before Adam Sidlow crashed his way over the try line under the posts to open the scoring. Brierley added the extras to make it 6-0, and in doing so, maintained his high conversion rate for the campaign which now stands at 27 successful kicks from 30 attempts (90%).

Soon after, the Scottish international added a try of his own as he got on the end of Jack Logan’s kick through to the in-goal area. Having added the four points, Brierley equalled John Woods’ record of 152 tries for Leigh and notched the 200th try of his own career.

Winning three consecutive games prior to their trip to the LSV, Wakefield were sluggish in the opening exchanges but hit back with two tries in four minutes to swing the match back in their favour.

A livewire throughout the afternoon, Reece Lyne produced an individual moment of brilliance to notch the first, chipping the ball over a flailing Centurions defender before regathering the ball to touch it down over the line.

Kelepi Tanginoa got the second not long after with a more routine grounding of the ball. He was just too strong for his opposite number and when Mason Lino added the extras, Trinity were leading 12-10 with that scoreline improving before the break.

Weighing nearly 19 stones and standing at six-foot-four, big prop David Fifita was never going to be stopped when he received the ball close to the line and bulldozed his way over with Lino again successfully converting.

That was to be the last scoring action of the first half, but it ended on a rather sour note. Trinity’s Lee Kershaw limped off the field after a heavy collision with just 30 seconds left on the clock and then with the very last tackle of the half, Leigh’s Nathan Mason was hurt badly.

In a tackle that was celebrated by the Wakefield players on the field, likely without knowing the severity, Mason stayed on the pitch receiving treatment throughout the half-time interval. Only moments before the two teams re-emerged for the start of the second half, he was stretchered off the field of play.

Leigh haven’t always coped well with adversity throughout this season, but during this encounter, Kurt Haggerty’s side reacted just the way that he would have wanted. Moments after the restart, the interim head coach saw Brierley fly over the try line to get his second of the game.

The 29-year-old will have teammate Iain Thornley to thank for that one, which took him past John Woods in the try-scoring charts at the LSV after Thornley made the breakthrough and set him up. A conversion from out wide took the Leythers to within two with the score at 18-16 in Trinity’s favour.

After helping to soak up some pressure at the opposite end, Brierley completed his hat-trick with 56 minutes on the clock. New signing Sam Stone offloaded the ball well to the full-back to dive in under the posts after a well-worked move from the hosts who now had the lead once more.

Wakefield weren’t going to go down without a fight though, and they will feel aggrieved that referee Robert Hicks chalked off not one but two tries in quick succession which could have put the game back in their favour.

Former Centurions player Liam Kay raced away and dived in at the corner, but Hicks pulled it back for what most in the ground thought to be a Leigh penalty. However, he instead awarded a penalty to the visitors, which they were unable to take advantage of having started a fresh set 10 metres out. A strange decision from the match official, but one which the Centurions will be mightily relieved about.

A second Wakefield try was disallowed too, though that was for obstruction and the denial was more clear cut with less of a reaction from the Trinity players on the field.

Leigh took that warning sign and acted on it quickly to extend their lead to 26-18. Having assisted Brierley earlier on in the game, Stone plucked the ball out of the air from a kick, and though he stumbled, managed to wriggle his way to the line and plant the ball down.

A rare missed conversion from Brierley meant that the hosts were up by eight points with 13 minutes remaining. Even though there was no more scoring action, there was still plenty of drama as the Centurions battled hard and battled well to keep hold of their lead.

Loanee Rob Butler was sent to the sin-bin for leading with the elbow when on the attack, so Leigh had to see out the game with 12 men, or so they thought.

21-year-old Innes Senior raced away and looked to be scoring in the corner for Trinity, but this was Brierley’s day, and he wasn’t going to let the visitors back into the contest. At 29, the full-back has eight years on Senior, but he didn’t let that show as he raced back and executed a try-saving tackle.

With 90 seconds left on the clock, he did it again. Wakefield’s Lyne broke the line and put on the afterburners to head for the Leigh try line, but so did Brierley. The 29-year-old caught up with the attacker and dragged him to the ground.

Sadly for the Leigh man, his game had to end a few moments early though as referee Hicks sent him to the sin-bin for holding on to Lyne and preventing him from playing the ball. The definition of ‘taking one for the team’ but undoubtedly worth it for Brierley, who was superb all afternoon.

In his sixth year with the Centurions, over three spells, it is not yet known whether he will remain at the LSV next season. One thing is for sure though, he inspired Leigh to their victory against Wakefield.

It means little in the grand scheme of things, but the roaring home crowd wouldn’t have told you that after the final hooter sounded. A moment of joy for them in what has been a tough year for all at the club. They will finish bottom with their fate in the hands of the Super League and the RFL regarding relegation.

As for Wakefield, that ends a good run for Willie Poching and his team. They must regroup ahead of the next campaign with this one certainly underwhelming overall.

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