Oldham 4 Hunslet Hawks 60: Hunlset leapfrog leaders Oldham as McHugh and Pryce grab hat-tricks

Left-centre Wayne McHugh and right-wing Waine Pryce each celebrated hat-tricks in the scorching sun – a measure of how the Hawks played expansive, open rugby to stretch the home side down both flanks.

McHugh also landed eight goals – seven conversions and a late penalty – to chalk up 28 points on a day when he, and the Hawks, could do no wrong.

"I can't praise my guys enough for the quality of their football," said player-coach Paul March, before describing McHugh's second try, and his side's 10th in the 72nd minute, as "an absolute beauty – surely a candidate for try of the season."

It was started by Neil Lowe's midfield burst, carried on by Danny Grimshaw, and then involved several more players in spectacular handling and support play before McHugh crashed over the line.

Hawks posted notice of what was to come when Stuart Kain sent Pryce in at the corner.

Oldham rallied and were rewarded with a Lucas Onyango try, but after that it was one-way traffic with the Hawks scoring five more tries before half-time from Pryce again, Kain, McHugh, Grimshaw and Michael Mark.

Pryce completed his hat-trick and further tries were scored at regular intervals by David March, Scott Woodcock and McHugh (twice) with McHugh landing a penalty.

Judging by the quality of their attacking rugby and the intensity of their defensive work on show here, it is going to take a very good side to knock Hunslet off that lofty summit.

Oldham: O'Connor; Onyango, Reilly, Fogerty, Gillam; McNally, Ashe; Boults, M Roden, Kerr, Hodson, Chandler, Clarke. Substitutes: Ellison, C Robinson, Heaton, Whitmore.

Hunslet: Kain; Pryce, Clayton, McHugh, Mark; Grimshaw, P March; Sullivan, Haigh, Houston, Dooler, Haughey, D March. Substitutes: D Robinson, Lowe, Woodcock, Helme.

Referee: C Sharrad (RFL).