Brods cut loose in second half

Briggs is not the biggest centre in the world but he brushed off several tacklers in a weaving run from home territory to touch down in the opening moments of the second half.

He struck again 15 minutes later and was followed over the whitewash by centre partner Danny Wood, winger Alex Brook and finally No 8 Rob Jennings as a Brods side oozing confidence ran away with it.

Brods were avenging a 23-11 opening day defeat away to the Horsforth club, who were one of three teams the Woodhead men leapfrogged in the table to finish a highly-creditable sixth after being next to bottom in January.

It was only the excellence of Wood’s goal kicking which gave Brods, playing up the slope with the wind behind them, a 12-8 interval lead.

The first of his four penalties from four attempts came on three minutes.

However, Brods struggled to catch the ball and Yarnbury, solid up front, first levelled with a seventh-minute penalty from fullback Jarrod Huss and then took the lead when hooker Tom Gilchrist forced his way over wide on the right on 23 minutes.

There were good individual moments from Brods - Dom Georgiou’s thumping try-saving tackle; Liam Scott’s excellent grubber kick to the corner; and Jennings’ great work at the breakdown which earned Wood’s third penalty shot.

However, it wasn’t until the second half that they put it together as a team with their enthusiasm and support play all too much for the Leeds side.

Briggs set the ball rolling, Wood’s conversion making it 19-8, and the centre was in again approaching the hour mark, the wind this time defeating Wood’s efforts to add the extras.

Full-back Phil Town, Wood and hooker Gareth Moger were making good contributions to the home effort but play was punctuated by numerous stoppages for injuries on a firming pitch.

Wood and Brook scored within four minutes of each other and Wood’s two conversions - one via the bar and the other from the touchline - put Brods out of sight at 38-8.

Yarnbury pressed for a late consolation score but their ineffective back line lost the ball and Brook broke away. Although he was collared, Brods retained possession and Jennings touched down wide out to finish his side’s season on a high note.