Batley Bulldogs 16 Leigh Centurions 40: Motorway chaos fails to help out Batley as Leigh go top

Despite being held up for four hours due to a motorway pile-up they quickly sprang into action and created a length-of-the-field try for full-back Stuart Donlan after only five minutes.

Batley hit back quickly as prop Mark Toohey took advantage of a superb dummy and break from Bulldogs stand-off Paul Handforth to race over beside the sticks to allow himself an easy conversion to level the scores.

But the visitors, showing some superb attacking movements, quickly raced into the lead once again through some fine tries from half-backs Martin Ridyard and Jamie Ellis, both of them converted by Mick Nanyn.

But the Bulldogs’ hopes were raised once more sharply before the break thanks to an eight-man passing movement and some determined play from wingman Alex Brown to cross in the corner and bring up the 10-18 interval score.

Dropped passes and a lack of inventiveness saw the Bulldogs slip towards defeat early in the second half. The slick Leigh outfit took full advantage of mistakes to send wingers Steve Maden and Dean McGilvery over for tries in the space of 10 minutes quickly followed by another touchdown by prop Steve Nash.

Batley gained some compensation as once again Danny Maun broke clear thanks to a clever chipped kick and full-back Darren Williams followed up to complete the move with a try.

But Leigh were not to be denied and hit back four minutes from time with an easy try for Tom Armstrong, converted by Nanyn.

Batley Bulldogs: Williams, Reittie, Walton, Maun, Brown; Handforth, Preece; Smith, Lythe, Toohey, Bretherton, Manning, Lindsay. Substitutes: Flanagan, Buttery, Hesketh, Robinson.

Leigh Centurions: Donlan; Maden, Armstrong, Nanyn, McGilvery; Ridyard, Ellis; Hill, Duffy, Nash, Littler, Goulden, Taylor. Substitutes: Paul, Higson, Thornley, Mills.

Referee: G Stokes (Wigan).

Hull KR’s influential scrum-half Michael Dobson has agreed to play on with the East Yorkshire club next season, taking up the final year option of his Craven Park contract.

Leeds Rhinos’ veteran centre Keith Senior has turned down other Super League clubs to sign a two-year deal with Crusaders, Castleford Tigers’ young centre Jordan Thompson will stay at Wheldon Road until 2014 while Steve Menzies is to play on into his 39th year after extending his stay in Perpignan for another 12 months.

Sheffield Eagles director John Whaling has been elected president of the Rugby Football League in succession to Bev Risman.

Whaling has served on the Eagles board since being involved in their formation following the ill-fated merger between the original Sheffield club and Huddersfield in 1999.