Thorman shines as Yorkshire stroll to Roses victory

Yorkshire 56 Lancashire 6

Yorkshire won for the first time since the inception of the Origin game, equalling their highest score against Lancashire and setting a new biggest winning margin here last night.

Eight different players, including all seven starting backs, scored tries - one measure of Yorkshire's control. Lancashire, with nine full internationals in their starting line-up, would have struggled against Rutland or the Isle of Wight on this mistake-riddled form.

The pre-match favourites from across the Pennines suffered a blow before kick-off when Paul Sculthorpe pulled out with a hamstring strain thus losing the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Danny, for the first time since their school days.

Another blow - a self-inflicted one - came after five minutes when Kevin Sinfield had a brainstorm and passed to his Leeds team-mate, but Origin opponent, Keith Senior, who took advantage of the interception to run 60 yards and score.

Chris Thorman's kick made it 6-0 and Yorkshire continued to look the better organised side, with Lancashire wasting what opportunities they had with sloppy handling.

Even their one period of sustained pressure ended in disaster, with Mark Calderwood taking a quick restart from the 20 metres and driving through Paul Wellens' tackle for Yorkshire's second breakaway try, which was again improved by Thorman.

Two minutes later, the Geordie half-back added a try to his tally, kicking through near the line and taking advantage of a defence intent on obstructing him rather than clearing the ball.

Thorman also figured in the next try, leading the charge from deep that ended with Senior getting his pass away for David Hodgson to score, with Thorman contributing his fourth goal.

Next it was Richard Horne's turn, going over from close range after Senior and Hodgson had again dismantled the defence down the left.

It would have been even worse for the Red Rose if Paul Deacon's tackle had not prevented Ryan Hudson from touching down in the last minute of the half.

Lancashire at least began the second half as though they belatedly meant business, with Deacon's run and pass putting Sean O'Loughlin over for their first points. Andy Farrell's goal brought him his 3,000th point in all rugby, but he had little else to celebrate.

Normality returned when Mike Forshaw knocked on, Hudson broke from the scrum and Gareth Ellis went over, and when Matt Diskin scurried in. Calderwood was brought down just short of the line after the best move of the game, but Yorkshire scored anyway through Leon Pryce.

Some of the intensity went out of Yorkshire's play, but Senior and Pryce both saw second tries in the last five minutes, with Thorman's eighth goal equalling Yorkshire's record tally against Lancashire.

YORKSHIRE: Pryce (Bradford); Calderwood (Leeds), Ellis (Wakefield), Senior (Leeds), Hodgson (Wigan); Thorman (London), Horne (Hull); Anderson (Bradford), Diskin (Leeds), Bailey (Leeds), Harland (Castleford), Peacock (Bradford), Hudson (Castleford). Substitutes used: Burrow (Leeds), Gilmour (Bradford), Walker (Leeds), Lynch (Castleford).

LANCASHIRE: Wellens (St Helens); Carney (Wigan), Gleeson (St Helens), Connolly (Leeds), Johnson (Wigan); Sinfield (Leeds), Deacon (Bradford); D Sculthorpe (Wigan), Newton (Wigan), Hilton (Warrington), Forshaw (Bradford), Farrell (Wigan), O'Loughlin (Wigan). Substitutes used: Prescott (Hull), Aspinwall (Wigan), Cunningham (St Helens), Tickle (Wigan).

Referee: K Kirkpatrick (Warrington).