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Leigh Centurions 38-4 Widnes Vikings: Highlights, player ratings & talking points

Leigh Centurions took on the Widnes Vikings in tonight’s Challenge Cup fourth round fixture.

The Centurions went into the break with a 16-4 lead after dominating for much of the first-half, though Widnes did end the stronger of the two sides.

However, it was all Leigh in the second-half, led by Joe Mellor and Ben Reynolds, they were far too strong for their Championship opponents, eventually running out 38-4 winners.

Highlights

Shane Grady and Adam Sidlow going hammer and tong at each other in a set of sledging and big hits was a flashback from the ages.

Caleb Aekins destroyed Widnes in the first-half with two tries and an assist as the Vikings just couldn’t keep a lid on him.

Caleb Aekins’ hattrick try was one for the highlight reel – he took a towering Matty Smith bomb before running 90 metres.

Talking points

1. Well refereed James Child

Referees often get a lot of stick for their performances during games, but credit must go to referee James Child who intervened when necessary on a feisty night. First, he gave both captains – Leigh’s Joe Mellor and Widnes’ Matty Smith – a stern talking to and then did the same with Sidlow and Grady when they clashed.

2. Caleb Aekins’ arrival

Caleb Aekins has endured a difficult start to his Leigh career, being peppered consistently by big kicks in the bad weather. However, with better weather, the former Canberra Raiders fullback was excellent, running rings around the Widnes on multiple occasions and notching three tries for the first time in his career.

3. Ben Reynolds and Joe Mellor

The duo excelled at halfback, carving the Vikings open throughout the fixture. In the good weather, Reynolds and Mellor will be very hard to stop.

Player ratings

Leigh Centurions

Caleb Aekins – 10
Jy Hitchcox – 7
Ed Chamberlain – 8
Luis Roberts – 8
Keanan Brand – 7
Ben Reynolds – 9
Joe Mellor – 10
Adam Sidlow – 7
Aaron Smith – 6
Tom Amone – 6
Sam Stone – 6
Joe Wardle – 6
John Asiata – 7
Substitutes
Mark Ioane – 7
Jacob Jones – 6
Ata Hingano – 6
Edwin Ipape – 7

Widnes Vikings

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