Leeds Memories

Quote: viva wildcats "Was at headingley in 2000 when we beat the Rhinos. One of the best games McNamara had for us! That Adam Hughes try shut the south stand up!

Here's the report, some old names that i'd forgotton like Tony Tatupu!

A last-gasp try from Adam Hughes gave Wakefield a stunning 22-18 opening day win at Headingley in Super League V.

The Wildcats centre pounced on a loose ball to kill off a stunning late comeback from the hosts.

Trinity had caught the home side flat-footed as they stormed into an 18-0 lead but the Rhinos refused to throw in the towel in a thrilling encounter.

Andy Hay, Jamie Mathiou and Francis Cummins all crossed in the second half as the Wildcats buckled under the fierce Rhinos onslaught.

But Hughes emerged from an in-goal melee with the crucial injury-time winner which gave the visitors the win.

The Wildcats, responded emphatically to last week's 46-0 mauling by Bradford, caught the error prone Rhinos napping from the kick-off.

The visitors were on the scoreboard as early as the second minute when powerful prop Francis Stephenson charged over under the posts after a fine move initiated by hooker Ryan Hudson.

Hughes then made sure of a comfortable half-time lead for the visitors when he sprinted 40metres down the touchline to cross for a second after 25 minutes. Skipper Steve McNamara made no mistake with either conversion.

The Rhinos, missing influential skipper Iestyn Harris, who failed a late fitness test on a knee injury, did manage one first-half touchdown when centre Paul Bell crossed - but the play was pulled back for a forward pass.

McNamara extended his side's lead with a penalty soon after the restart before winger Paul Sampson finished off a fine move for another try.

Sampson was himself involved in a move which saw his side sweep forward in formidable fashion before Tony Tatupu put him through to score in the corner.

Yet Leeds were not content to lie down and loose forward Hay finally gave the home fans something to cheer with a belated try after 57 minutes. Cummins' conversion narrowed the deficit to 18-6.

Mathiou then hauled Leeds further back into contention with another try and the increasingly influential Cummins set up a rousing finish when he went over for a third.

Cummins raced over the whitewash after a powerful burst from Mathiou and then raised the roof when he landed a simple conversion to level the scores.

The impetus had switched to Leeds but Wakefield held on as if their lives depended on it and were rewarded for their persistence when Hughes grabbed his second try barely seconds before the hooter.'"