LEIGH'S rise from the bottom to the top is complete.

Last season's no-hopers have now served notice they are the team to beat.

In the 39-8 rout of Bramley they took their tries tally to 20 in their last two games, collecting 111 points along the way and only conceding 14. That's the form of a champion side.

But Friday's comprehensive win at Headingley was far more hard earned than their Sunday romp against Doncaster.

Despite their lowly position, Bramley were no soft touch.

They were as competitive as any side Leigh have met this season until they had centre Anthony Gibbons sent off for a high tackle on Anthony Murray four minutes from half-time.

At that stage Leigh had had to work overtime to carve out a 12-4 lead with tries from Andy Fairclough, Ken Kerr and Alan Hadcroft.

Phil Kendrick missed with three early shots at goal before finding his range with two penalties just before the break to stretch Leigh's advantage to 16-4.

Leigh look like they have something special developing on the left flank where Kerr and Hadcroft are forging a lethal partnership.

Kerr, in only his second trial game, produced a thundering touchline break that ended with Hadcroft sending Jamie Kennedy over to increase Leigh's lead still further.

A second Bramley TD was a temporary slip.

Making full use of their extra man advantage Leigh plundered three more tries before the close.

Hadcroft took on the defence and scored at the foot of the posts, prop Dave Whittle galloped in for his first of the season and sub Andy Pucill collected Leigh's seventh try of the night.

Kendrick finished with five goals and Kieron Purtill weighed in with a drop goal.

LEIGH: Donlan, Hadcroft, Kerr, Kendrick, Ingram, Patel, Purtill, Street, Arkwright, Whittle, Kennedy, Cruickshank, Fairclough. Subs: Murray, Pucill, Bowker, Liku. Attendance: 679.

LEIGH fans driving to Sunday's match at York have been told they can use the car park at Monks Cross Shopping Centre, adjacent to the ground, to leave their vehicles.

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