Parcell just heaven sent for Rhinos
HERE TO STAY: Sutcliffe celebrates deal with a try WITH a name like Matt Parcell, the Australian hooker has been under pressure to deliver for Leeds this season and last night he produced another first-class performance.
Signed from NRL side Manly Sea Eagles after James Segeyaro walked out on his contract at Headingley at the end of last season, Parcell has enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign in Super League.
His clinical secondhalf brace last night took his tally for the season to 19, a hugely impressive figure which could see the 24-year-old shortlisted for the Man of Steel award in the coming weeks.
For Leeds, the margin of victory underlined their threat as the play-off semifinals come into sharp focus.
After a disastrous 2016 campaign, in which they finished in the bottom four and were reduced to the indignity of a relegation fight in the Qualifiers, they have showed some welcome signs of their old selves this season.
No club has won more Super League titles than their seven and, having already secured second spot last week, the serious business gets underway on September 29, when Leeds will enjoy home advantage at Headingley in their sudden-death shootout with the side who finishes third once the final two rounds of the Super 8s are completed.
Despite not coming close to matching the consistency of runaway leaders Castleford, the Rhinos have shown
LEEDS SALFORD
glimpses of their capabilities on a regular basis this term.
Such quality was evident in the opening quarter last night when tries from Liam Sutcliffe and Danny McGuire put them in control.
Gareth O’Brien’s penalty had edged Salford ahead in the but the visitors threw in the towel weeks ago in their bid to reach Old Trafford and surrendered meekly again last night.
Homegrown centre Sutcliffe, who this week signed a new long-term deal with Leeds, collected a pass from Joel Moon to dive over in the left corner. Three minutes later and the Rhinos conjured the kind of try that typified them during their golden era as Rob Burrow broke brilliantly through the Salford and sent the supporting McGuire scampering under the posts.
Their superiority was underlined five minutes before the break when Stevie Ward’s pass sent winger Tom Briscoe racing over in the right corner for a third.
That made it 16-2 at the break and from there Leeds cut loose as Parcell twice finished well either side of Adam Cuthbertson’s well-taken score from McGuire’s teasing kick.
Anthony Mullally and Brett Ferres then joined Parcell in coming off the bench to get their names on the scoresheet in a one-sided encounter.