East Leeds walked off at Leigh Miners Rangers with a good win in NCRL's Division One, and second rower Ryan Wooffitt couldn’t hide what it meant.
“Fourth versus fifth…it represented how close of a tie it was,” he said, reflecting on a first half that had two teams locked in the same fight.
“Leigh have a massive set of lads, a lot of enthusiasm…I think there were two points in it at half-time.” It was tight, tense, and exactly the sort of afternoon where East Leeds had to earn every inch.
What changed was the start of the second half. Wooffitt felt it immediately.
“We got a great start to the second half and we never really looked back, but that's taking nothing away from Leigh.” he said. With forwards short, they leaned on their strike players. “Us backs were nearly as big as us forwards… you’ve got the likes of Kiedan Hartley and James Duckworth, you’ve got to use them. As the game opened up, Alfie Crawford managed to cause havoc…gameplay just came together.”
Most of East Leeds points came out wide, a sign of Leigh Miners scramble but also East Leeds’ clinical edge. “In the clinical moments, I think we pinched them at post a couple of times…every try we were right in the corner.”
Wooffitt even allowed himself a smile about his own four-pointer. “I wouldn’t call it quite Usain Bolt…probably 30 seconds to get that 10 metres,” he laughed, before adding the line that sums him up. “I’m quite a defensive-orientated player…so when them tries come, I take them with two hands.”
But the heartbeat of the win came from the middle. “Nehmiah Mensah, Roy Railton and Luke Mullen…absolute workhorses,” he said. “Big boys playing big minutes…it’s hot out here.” He loved the contest for what it was. “They had their big boys and they just go toe for toe…it’s like gladiators, isn’t it?” That set-for-set grind gave East Leeds the momentum they needed. “While you’ve got momentum, you ride that wave…today we really rode it.”
Momentum has been hard-earned this year. Wooffitt didn’t shy away from the reality. “We’ve really had to tough it out this year…gone to the depth of YML and they’ve really helped us out.” He reeled off the young lads with pride. “Young Will Simmo has been absolutely diamond…safe as houses.” And the ones stepping up against giants. “Ewan Hasty, 17…scored two tries against Wigan St Pats.” It’s become part of their identity. “They’re enthusiastic, they’re dying, they’re chomping at the bit…there's five or six, and thankfully we’ve had them there. If we didn’t, God knows where we’d be.”
The spine delivered too. “David Gibbons, Owen (Hughes), Alfie (Crawford), Luke Littlewood…the spine played beautifully today.” And the basics carried them home. “High completion… finishing in corners… that is simply the basics of Rugby League.”
The win created separation. “Massive, massive two points…fourth against fifth away, play-offs approaching, massive.” East Leeds now sit four points clear of fifth with four games left, finally able to breathe after a season spent patching, shuffling and improvising. “It could’ve gone either way…but we were clinical.”
And Wooffitt finished with the line that sums up East Leeds better than any league table ever could.
“We’ve done it tough and that’s how East Leeds do it. We’d never have it any other way and I’m proud of it.”
Last weekend's results in full:
National Premier Division
Hunslet ARLFC 76 Rochdale Mayfield 12
Lock Lane ARLFC 56 Wigan St Judes ARLFC 12
Siddal ARLFC 38 York Acorn RLC 10
Wath Brow Hornets 18 Waterhead Warriors 34
West Bowling ARLFC 14 Thatto Heath Crusaders 34
West Hull 42 Heworth ARLFC 4
Division One
Dewsbury Celtic 36 Oldham St Annes ARLFC 10
Egremont Rangers 22 Pilkington Recs ARLFC 16
Kells ARLFC 58 Wigan St Patricks ARLFC 12
Leigh Miners Rangers 10 East Leeds 36
Oulton Raiders 30 Dewsbury Moor 10
Stanningley SARLC 36 Shaw Cross Sharks 12
Cumbria
Dalton 44 Millom RLFC 36
Distington ARL 22 Barrow Island ARLFC 16
Ellenborough Rangers 46 Ulverston 14
Hensingham 38 Seaton Rangers 14
Maryport 44 Hindpool Tigers 26
North West
Blackbrook 22 Ince Rose Bridge 28
Leigh East ARLFC 100 Clock Face Miners 6
Orrell St James 24 Saddleworth Rangers 0
Woolston Rovers RLFC 28 Ashton Bears ARLFC 24
Southern
Eastern Rhinos 22 London Chargers 28
Wests Warriors 36 Bedford Tigers RLFC 20
Yorkshire A
Beverley 12 Myton Warriors 24
King Cross Park 14 Keighley Albion 12
Mirfield Spartans 10 Bradford Dudley Hill 32
Moldgreen 16 Thornhill Trojans 44
Yorkshire B
Bentley ARLFC 18 Milford Marlins 22
Hull Dockers 26 Kippax Welfare 22
Newsome Panthers ARLFC 28 Siddal Academy 0
Skirlaugh 18 Fryston Warriors 12
