Kevin Brown scored a hatrick but couldn’t help his side avoid a 36-52 defeat to an understrength Leeds side.

The Rhinos trio of Zak Hardaker, Rob Burrow and Liam Sutcliffe all played a key part in the ten try rout, the latter two touching down for two each.

Leeds led 38-6 and so had the game wrapped up at half-time but could have been accused of complacency after letting Widnes make the scoreline a little bit more respectable.

Former Salford centre, Joel Moon opened their account with just eight minutes on the clock after a well-worked move down the left flank.

A weary Widnes chase, from what was a testing Jon Clarke kick on the last then allowed Leeds to go full-length.

Hardaker evaded a couple of early chasers before spotting a gap and handing the ball on to Kallum Watkins who in turn set up Sutcliffe.

Moon then went in again, ten minutes after his first, a similar assault on his wing causing problems for the scrambling Widnes defence.

Sutcliffe too went in for his second amidst claims of obstruction, Hardaker’s second miss leaving the score at 20-0.

Just sixty seconds later, Sutcliffe could have raced in for an early hatrick but he rightly looked inside to supporting Burrow who touched down for Leeds’ fifth try.

Paul McShane, who spent last season on loan at the Vikings, then found free scoring winger, Ryan Hall with a neat chip over to the corner.

Three minutes for the break, Sutcliffe could have again stretched over for his third but instead he found Hardaker who had nothing to do but ground the ball.

Then on the hooter, referee, Thierry Alibert awarded a penalty for offside from which Brown danced in to make the half-time score 38-6.

Widnes would have had the opportunity to push for another from the second-half restart but the ball somehow ended back in Leeds hands.

After a back to zero call from the referee, Leeds moved further ahead, Ben Jones-Bishop doing remarkably well to ground the ball in the corner.

Burrow then raced in to become the third Rhino to score a second and Hardaker goaled again to make the score 48-6 with half an hour to go.

On the hour mark, Parramatta bound forward, Gareth Hock scored Widnes’ second before latching onto a deflected kick and finding brother in-law, Brown three minutes later.

Leeds responded, moving ahead of the 50 point barrier through Kallum Watkins whose try ensured that the first seven names on the teamsheet had made the scoresheet.

Ten minutes from time, Brown completed his hatrick, Jack Owens keeping his 100% record with the boot to make the score 24-52.

Widnes full-back, Rhys Hanbury scored the Vikings’ fifth after a Brown offload before Hock scored his second.

Leeds: Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall, Sutcliffe, Burrow, Moore, McShane, Peacock, Ablett, Clarkson, Singleton.
Replacements: Achurch, Kirke, Keinhorst, Foster.

T: Moon 2, Sutcliffe 2, Burrow 2, Hall, Jones-Bishop, Watkins
G: Hardaker 7/10


Widnes: Hanbury, Owens, Phelps, Marsh, Ah Van, Mellor, Brown, Pickersgill, Clarke, O’Carroll, Hock, Winterstein, Gerrard.
Replacements: Leuluai, Kavanagh, Joseph, Craven.

T: Brown 3, Hock 2, Hanbury
G: Owens 6/6

Referee: Thierry Alibert