IT looks like being a long, hard season for Leigh. After another unequal struggle, a 36-12 thumping at Hunslet, they are fast earning themselves a reputation as the Division One easybeats.

And who can blame the opposition for thinking there are points aplenty to be had with Leigh leaking an astonishing 129 in just three league games.

They prop up the rest of the table after three straight defeats - and just where a first win is coming from is anybody's guess.

Most worrying was Hunslet didn't need to lift their performance much above the ordinary to win at a canter. Leigh were awful. They showed little sign of improvement to encourage an increasingly frustrated away support.

Defensively, they were a mess, unable to cope with the Kiwi half-back combination of Paul Mansson and Latham Tawhai or the forceful running of second rower Rob Wilson. And they also have the added worry of skipper Tim Street again walking a disciplinary tightrope. He was put on report by referee Steve Nicholson for an alleged spear tackle on Steve Pryce.

Two different half-back combinations of Scott Hilton and Anthony Murray and then Andy Fairclough paired with Jason O'Loughlin did nothing for continuity. Yet at times Leigh did have Hunslet at full stretch and their three-try tally really should have been five. Stuart Donlan was caught from behind when put clean through by Leigh's best forward, John Costello, and Fairclough didn't make the best use of his support when he broke free in the second half.

But it's around the scrum base where Leigh have most problems. They were still in touch on 16 minutes when Aussie packman scooped up a loose pass and went 50 metres for a try. David Ingram, one of three unsuccessful kickers tried by Leigh, failed miserably.

But 6-4 quickly became 24-4 before Ingram took his remarkable tally to eight tries in seven successive games.

The misery, however, was to continue with late tries for Hunslet. Then, at the death, came Leigh's best move of the match, Fairclough finishing in style.

LEIGH: Donlan; Burrows, Hadcroft, Fairclough, Ingram; Hilton, Murray; Street, Jenkins, Pucill, Costello, Nixon, Garces. Subs: O'Loughlin, Harthill, Hudspith, Driscoll.

Attendance: 1,280.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.