Leeds & Wigan keep pace with table-topping St Helens
- Published
The top three in Women's Super League all won handsomely as Leeds and Wigan kept pace with leaders St Helens.
Rachael Woosey bagged a hat-trick as Saints thrashed Barrow 64-6 on the road to remain two points clear of the Rhinos and Warriors.
Leeds are second on points difference after Liv Whitehead scored a treble in a 68-6 win at winless Featherstone, while Wigan hammered Huddersfield 70-0.
York Valkyrie scored 12 tries in a 60-0 win at Warrington to stay two points further back in fourth.
St Helens shared the tries around at Barrow Raiders, with seven different scorers on the board before half-time.
Jodie Cunningham, Leah Burke, Naomi Williams, Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin, Paige Travis and Rachael Woosey took Saints into a 38-0 lead before Jodie Litherland's penalty broke Barrow's duck.
A second-half brace gave Woosey her hat-trick, and there were also second tries for Williams and Gaskin who took her tally to 26 points.
Sam Norman opened Barrow's try account, but it was only a consolation as Vicky Whitfield became Saints' eighth different try-scorer at the death.
Wigan also had their game wrapped up by half-time, crossing for seven first-half touchdowns at home to Huddersfield.
Grace Banks went over twice, alongside tries from Rease Casey, Anna Davies, Kaitlin Hilton, Mary Coleman and Jenna Foubister, and six goals from Isabel Rowe as the hosts led 40-0 at the break.
There was little respite for the Giants after the interval as Ruby Hunter extended the lead before Davies and Foubister added second tries, and Ellise Derbyshire's double took Wigan's try tally to 12.
Rowe had a brilliant afternoon with the boot, slotting 11 of her 12 conversion attempts.
Debut day doubles for Stead and Walker
Ebony Stead had a day to remember as she crossed twice in the first 16 minutes of her Leeds debut as the Rhinos stormed into a 38-6 half-time lead at Featherstone.
Liv Whitehead also scored a first-half double, added to tries from Bethan Dainton, Evie Cousins and Grace Short and five Keara Bennett goals, with Charley Blackburn replying for the hosts.
Whitehead completed her hat-trick soon after the break with her seventh try in two matches, and Bella Sykes and Bennett also dotted down, with Dainton adding her second score.
Ruby Walker became the second debutant to score two tries, adding three goals to her tally.
York quickly took control away to Warrington, as Emma Kershaw's double and tries from Remi Wilton, Savannah Andrade and Eboni Partington put them 26-0 ahead at the break.
Kershaw completed her hat-trick, and Partington added a second, while Georgie Hetherington was also among the scorers as York added seven second-half tries.