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Leeds Rhinos’ Rhyse Martin denied amazing record as Papua New Guinea take on Cook Islands

Rhyse Martin is one of the world’s best goal kickers, in fact he might well be one of the best the sport has ever seen.

This is why, going into the World Cup, Rhyse Martin had already equalled an amazing goal kicking record.

His conversion for Aidan Sezer’s winning try in the final game of the regular season against Castleford which secured Leeds’ place in the play-offs saw him equal Mason Lino’s Super League record of consecutive goal kicks without missing with 36.

This equalled what is called the elite level record as well meaning Super League and NRL.

However, Martin was denied the chance of breaking that record over the next two weeks in the play-offs when he was controversially suspended for am high tackle on former Leeds teammate Alex Mellor.

Leeds appealed the ban but their appeal was deemed frivolous and a second game was added to the ban.

After the Rhinos beat Catalans in week one with Zak Hardaker having a flawless night with the boot, Leeds appealed the frivolous verdict and failed meaning he missed the semi-final against Wigan, a night on which Hardaker again didn’t miss.

Though in the Grand Final against St Helens, Martin broke the record on the stroke of halftime after Kruise Leeming finished off a lovely move to make it 12-6 at the break.

The game got away from the Rhinos in the second half but the second-row got himself a try and converted from outwide to make it 38 goals without missing – a new Super League record.

However, another record still lingered in front of him – the world record held by Liam Finn and Jamie Ellis and accumulated in the Championship.

The duo kicked 41 goals without missing meaning Martin entered the World Cup needing three more goals without a miss to equal the record and four to break it.

In the first of PNG’s first game in the World Cup tonight against Tonga, Martin made it 39 goals in a row when he converted his own try and at the start of the second half as his country made a real battle of it against one of the tournament favourites he made it 40 converting Lachlan Lam’s try.

But then came the big one to level the game at 18-all he had to convert from the touchline to equal then record.

Of course, he kicked it to join a World Record club with 41 goals without a miss.

But this left him going into tonight’s game against the Cook Islands needing just one more to break the World Record.

His chance would come tonight with the first try of the game and it was a special one as Rodrick Tai bust through after a 20 metre restart and ran 80 metres to score.

Unfortunately for Martin, he went in at the right corner, the worst spot for a right footed kicker. So the question was would this great try lead to a moment of history.

Unfortunately, the ball went across the front of the posts and he had to accept sharing histroy with Liam Finn and Jamie Ellis. 41 is still the number to beat.

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