Betfred Super League
Leigh (12) 42
Tries: Charnley 3, Towse, Hanley, Halton, Armstrong, Hodgson, Lam Goals: Cook 3
Hull FC (6) 6
Tries: Hardaker Goals: Hardaker
Josh Charnley was the headline act with a hat-trick to close on Ryan Hall’s Super League record as Leigh Leopards breezed past Hull FC.
The veteran wing’s finishing power was on full display as took his try tally to 269 to move to within two of Hall, who has 271 Super League touchdowns.
It was a virtuoso display at centre from 24-year-old Umyla Hanley, however, which just about stole the show at Leigh Sports Village.
Few can handle Hanley’s pace and vision when he is on song and the son of Wigan and league legend Ellery was unstoppable with three assists, a try of his own and a key role in another.
Despite trailing 6-4 at the end of a cagey opening 25 minutes, Hanley’s wizardry and Charnley’s finishing helped deliver Leigh nine tries and their biggest win of the season.
This was a fourth victory out of five for the Leopards, who are moving through the gears as the season progresses. Adrian Lam’s side stayed seventh but have closed the gap on the top six to two points.
With Hanley pulling the strings, there is no doubt they have the tools to post a top-six finish and hold Grand Final ambitions.
Hanley was instrumental with the assist of the night to put in Charnley for a second, offloading an inside pass as he was being taken over the sideline at pace by Logan Moy.
His burst of pace and darting run to set up Charnley’s hat-trick was electrifying.
The only negative on a near faultless performance from Hanley came with a woeful conversion kick when Adam Cook handed over kicking duties after missing five of his first six.
For all of Leigh’s dominance, picking up the pace after going behind and never catching sight of their opponents from there to the hooter, Hull FC were poor.
They had been hit by yet another injury nightmare with full-back Davy Litten injuring his medial ligament in training this week and facing up to six weeks on the sidelines.
It compounded the feeling that a turnaround in fortunes feels a long way off for the Black and Whites, as Andy Last’s side slipped to a fifth defeat in their past six Super League outings.
Leigh: Armstrong; Towse, Senior, Hanley, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Ofahengaue, Ipape, Hughes, Halton, Alick-Wiencke, Liu.
Interchanges: Hodgson, Brown, Brogan, Horne.
Hull FC: Moy; Barron, L Kemp, Johnson, Briscoe; C Kemp, Arthur; Mata’utia, Cust, Hill, Batchelor, O’Neill, Hardaker.
Interchanges: Salabio, Hutchinson, Kirby, Clark.
Referee: Liam Moore