Prior to today, Leeds’ last Challenge Cup win came in the 2020 final with the Rhinos losing out in their first game each year since. There was never any risk of that happening today as they took the lead within two minutes and never looked back.
Brad Arthur’s side faced community club Wests Warriors who had opted for the game to be held at Headingley as opposed to in their home city of London and despite the heavy loss, a great day was had by all at Headingley – particularly Jake Connor, Ryan Hall and Sam Lisone.
Connor tallied 32 points from full-back as he scored a try and racked up 14 conversions whilst both Ryan Hall and Sam Lisone bagged hattricks as Leeds ran riot.
It was to be expected given how strong the team that Brad Arthur had named with James Bentley the only healthy scratch in an otherwise full-strength team.
Leeds Rhinos hammer community club as they win Challenge Cup tie for first time in five years
We 💙 Rugby League, great showing from the boys from @wests_warriors as it ends 92-0 at AMT Headingley in @TheChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/D9qtC3Kei5
— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) February 8, 2025
Hall got the scoring underway after just two minutes before his opposite winger Riley Lumb, who is 16 years his junior, added the Rhinos’ second before the ten-minute mark.
Jake Connor, Jack Sinfield and a second for Hall all came within the next seven minutes as Leeds were 28-0 up before the clock had even hit 20 minutes.
Thankfully for Wests they slowed up so that the 100-point mark was not hit but it wasn’t far off as another three tries came before halftime via co-captain Cam Smith, the returning Morgan Gannon and Matt Frawley.
Lisone got his first after 44 minutes, his second after 47 and he wrapped up his hatrrick in the 71st just ten minutes after Ryan Hall bagged his third. Other scorers were Sinfield, Edgell, Holroyd and Gannon with Leeds falling eight points short of the century.
The key worry for Brad Arthur and Leeds Rhinos could be that Jack Sinfield suffered a footy injury and limped off after an hour, having played both hooker and in the halves.
Leeds have booked their spot in Round Four alongside Hull KR, Wigan Warriors, Leigh Leopards and Catalans Dragons with the draw set to be made next Sunday at half-time in the Super League clash between St Helens and Salford Red Devils.
