Hall leads Cas demolition

Ryan Hall claimed a stunning five-try haul as Leeds closed in on Super League leaders St Helens with a crushing 76-12 victory over Castleford at Headingley.

The England wing, 21, claimed a first-half hat-trick and then raced from inside his own half for a brilliant fourth on the hour mark before claiming his fifth with five minutes remaining.

Australian wing Scott Donald, full-back Brent Webb - who crossed twice - Lee Smith, Kylie Leuluai, Rob Burrow, Jamie Peacock, Michael Ratu and Ali Lauitiiti also crossed as the reigning champions sent out an emphatic reminder of their class.

The Rhinos opened the scoring in typically devastating fashion as Burrow's delightful 40-20 led to a period of sustained pressure that culminated in skipper Kevin Sinfield finding Danny McGuire with a neat short offload.

Outstanding try

McGuire advanced forward at pace from midfield, tearing down the right flank before sending Donald racing into the corner for an outstanding try.

Sinfield could not add the extras from the touchline and Castleford wiped out the Rhinos' lead four minutes later as Rangi Chase found James Evans in the left channel and he showed brute force to bustle his way over the line in front of the visiting Tigers supporters.

Joe Westerman garnished the try with the two extra points from a difficult angle but Leeds regained the lead five minutes later when Hall touched down in the left corner for the simplest of scores.

Just two minutes later and Hall had his second try as, with good support from Keith Senior down the left flank, he finished clinically in the corner for a score that Sinfield managed to convert.

Leeds began to move through the gears and it came as no surprise when Webb showed clever footwork and impressive pace to weave his way through for a fourth Leeds try seven minutes before the break.

Leeds had a fifth on the stroke of half-time when replacement Lauitiiti found Senior and he again put Hall in at the corner - putting Leeds 26-6 ahead after Sinfield claimed his third goal from five attempts.

Smith found the space to go over in the 46th minute but Castleford snatched their second score three minutes later when Chase touched down.

Career milestone

Westerman added the conversion but any hopes of closing the gap faded as Leeds had their seventh try soon after when prop Leuluai's aggression took him over the line, allowing Sinfield to land his 1,000th career goal.

Hall soon got in on the act again on the hour mark when he seized on a loose ball and raced over 80 metres to touch down.

Webb added his second try in the 63rd minute and Burrow and Peacock also crossed as the Tigers were torn to shreds.

Hall claimed his fifth try - his 26th of the season before Ratu and Lauitiiti completed the punishment in an embarrassingly one-sided encounter.