Leeds 4 North Queensland 38

AUSTRALIAN clubs completed a whitewash of their Super League counterparts for the second successive year as the World Club Series followed an all-too-familiar pattern.

Depleted Leeds had their moments in the World Club Challenge and restored some pride for Super League with a spirited first-half display against North Queensland Cowboys in front of a 19,778 crowd at Headingley, before collapsing after the break and conceding 34 points to go down 38-4.

With a try and a hand or foot in all other six tries as well as five goals from seven attempts, the Graham Murray man of the match award, named in honour of the former Cowboys and Leeds coach, went inevitably to Golden Boot holder Johnathan Thurston, who underlined his status as the game's best player.

As the Rhinos eventually went the way of St Helens and Wigan, the aggregate score of 118-28 over the three-match series summed up the gulf between Super League and the NRL and will no doubt prompt a series of inquests over the coming days.

Yet Leeds, bottom of Super League after making their worst start to a season for 16 years and without seven players through injury, gave as good as they got in the first 40 minutes of their record seventh World Club Challenge appearance.

The Cowboys, whose coach Paul Green had the luxury of being able to field the team that beat Brisbane Broncos in October's Grand Final, had to cope with a gale-force wind that blew horizontally into their faces in the first half and they found it tough going against fired-up opponents.

A series of early offloads from prop Adam Cuthbertson set the pattern for the Rhinos' enterprising play and it was against the run of play when the Cowboys opened the scoring midway through the half.

Not surprisingly Thurston was at the heart of the move, timing his pass to perfection to get half-back partner Michael Morgan striding through a gap in the home defence to touch down.

Surprisingly, though, Thurston missed the relatively easy kick and Leeds deservedly drew level nine minutes before half-time.

A crucial interception by stand-off Liam Sutcliffe relieved pressure on the Rhinos line and set up the position for Cuthbertson to get acting captain Rob Burrow over for an equalising score.

Jordan Lilley was wide with the conversion attempt and Leeds slipped behind at the start of the second half thanks to a second blunder of the match by inexperienced winger Ash Handley.

When the youngster spilled the ball from Thurston's kick, second-rower Gavin Cooper was on hand to pick up and send centre Kane Linnett over for the easiest try he will ever score.

Thurston's successful conversion made it 10-4 and it became a forlorn task for Leeds when right winger Kyle Feldt took Morgan's cut-out pass and fended off Ryan Hall surprisingly easily to cross for a third try after 48 minutes.

The Cowboys continued to pepper Handley with high kicks but he kept his nerve and the Rhinos almost got themselves back into the contest when the impressive Lilley was literally thrown back from the try-line.

Any hope of a fightback, however, was finally snuffed out when the NRL champions scored two further tries in a five-minute spell.

Full-back Lachlan Coote picked up a loose ball to touch down in fortuitous fashion after Thurston's grubber kick rebounded off the boot of Sutcliffe and then the world's best player went over for a solo score.

Leeds' earlier tremendous efforts then began to take their toll as centre Justin O'Neill strolled past some tired tackling to score two tries in the last 12 minutes and Thurston took his goal tally to five from seven attempts.

Both teams finished with 12 men after North Queensland's James Tamou was sin-binned for taking a swing at prop Keith Galloway and Leeds had Mitch Garbutt sent off for a more blatant punch on Tamou.