Leigh Centurions complete Championship league leaders' shield hat-trick

By PA Sport

Image: Lee Smith, picturing thanking the fans at the Summer Bash, was among Leigh's tryscorers against Halifax

Leigh clinched a third successive league leaders' shield with a 58-18 victory over Halifax in the Kingstone Press Championship.

The Centurions, who have stretched their unbeaten run to 20 matches, never looked back after establishing a 34-6 half-time lead thanks to tries from Cory Paterson, Lee Smith, Adam Higson, Greg Worthington, Josh Drinkwater and Andrew Dixon.

Paterson and Dixon went on to double their tallies in the second half while Fuifui Moi and Liam Kay also scored tries and Martyn Ridyard took his goal tally to nine from 10 attempts.

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Halifax scored tries through Ben Johnston (2) and Will Sharp, all converted by Steve Tyrer, but a first defeat in eight matches leaves their top-four spot in danger.

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Elsewhere, second-placed London Broncos suffered a second successive home defeat when they went down 32-14 to Sheffield Eagles.

Scrum-half Stan Robin, who has joined Sheffield on loan from Catalans Dragons, was among the tryscorers as the Eagles boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation to League 1.

Matt James, Matty Fozard, Quentin Laulu-Togagae, Menzie Yere and Duane Straugheir scored Sheffield's other tries and Cory Aston kicked four goals.

Winger Rhys Williams, the Championship's leading tryscorer, gave London an early lead with his 22nd touchdown of the season but they trailed 18-4 at the break and second-half tries from Israel Eliab and Andy Ackers came too late to affect the result.

The consolation for the Broncos is that defeats for Halifax and Batley confirmed their second-place finish which will secure four home games in the Qualifiers.

Featherstone kept alive their outside top-four hopes with a 34-6 victory over John Kear's Bulldogs at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium.

Rovers' tries came from Andy Bostock, Ian Hardman, Ashton Golding, Michael Channing and Kyle Briggs, who also kicked seven goals.

Batley, who were trailing 34-0 when centre Chris Ulugia went over for their only try, now need to win both their last two matches to stay in the top four and reach the Qualifiers.

Fifth-placed Bradford re-applied the pressure on the teams above them with a 64-18 rout of relegation-threatened Whitehaven at Odsal, where young winger Ethan Ryan scored a hat-trick of tries and Australian half-back Dane Chisholm enjoyed a dream debut.

Chisholm, the Bulls' new signing from Canterbury Bulldogs, scored twice during a one-sided first half which saw his side establish a 52-0 lead, while Adam Sidlow, Kris Welham, Kieren Moss, Joe Philbin, Steve Crossley and James Clare were the other scorers.

Jay Chapelhow, James Newton and John Paul Brocklebank scored tries for the Cumbrians, who have now gone five matches without a win.

Matty Gee's try and Jarrod Sammut's successful conversion two minutes from the end earned bottom club Workington a 22-20 win over Dewsbury at Derwent Park.

Declan Hulme scored the opening try to give Workington the lead but the Rams hit back through Dale Morton, Tony Tonks and Lucas Walshaw before half-time and led 20-16 when Andy Kain went over for their fourth try on 65 minutes.

 Karl Olstrum and Theerapol Ritson scored the other tries for Workington, who earned their first win in eight matches.

Oldham came from 12-0 down to beat Swinton in their mid-table clash at Stalybridge and make it three wins in a row.

The Lions, who had already beaten Oldham twice this year, made a flying start with two early tries by Ben White, improved by Chris Atkin, but an interception try by centre Kieran Gill kept the home side in the game and they turned it on its head with two tries in three minutes by substitute prop Michael Ward at the start of the second half.

Lewis Palfrey's third goal gave Roughyeds an 18-14 lead and, although Macauley Hallett added a third try for the visitors, Adam Clay's try sealed Oldham's win, rendering Josh Barlow's late try a mere consolation.

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