Bridge at head of rout

Super League Under-21 52 National League Under-21 1

Bradford's Chris Bridge amassed 28 points, including a hat-trick of tries, as some of the brightest young players in Super League proved too strong for their lower division opponents at Leigh last night.

The Super League players scored two tries in the first five minutes, by Bridge from Richard Mathers's kick and then by Steve Rowlands from Peter Lupton's perfect pass. But the part-timers of the National League came back strongly and scored two quick tries of their own, through their centres Richard Whiting and Damien Reed, the latter an 80-yard interception.

With Mick Nanyn's two conversions cancelling out Bridge's, the sides were level until the National League made a hash of clearing a kick just before half-time to allow Bridge to claim his second try. Two minutes into the second-half,Bridge gave the pass to Steve Maden for Super League's fourth and he went over again from another Mathers kick.

Stuart Reardon was next to cross as the Super League side took complete control, followed by Lupton's long-range intercept. Craig Farrimond then went in before Bridge completed his hat-trick from a scrum and landed his eighth goal.

SUPER LEAGUE UNDER-21: Rowlands; Wray, Reardon, Bridge, Maden; Lupton, Mathers; Moore, A Smith, Snitch, Netherton, Barker, Blakeway. Substitutes used: Mbu, Farrimond, Chapman, Gallagher.

NATIONAL LEAGUE UNDER-21: Batty; Nanyn, Reed, Whiting, Halstead; Marsh, Sanderson; Bovill, Pickering, G Smith, Bailey, Ibbetson, Toohey. Substitutes used: Ekis, Haggerty, Goddard, Thorman.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).