Four tries from NRL-bound back-rower Kai O'Donnell kept Leigh Leopards' Super League play-off hopes alive, with Adrian Lam's side recording a 42-12 victory over Hull FC on Sunday afternoon. The two sides were all square at the break, with the class of Lachlan Lam, whose transfer saga has seemingly been brought to an end after Adrian Lam's post-match comments, also having a strong say in the Leythers' win.

Linking up on the left edge, Lam, who is set to remain a Leigh player next year, constantly found O'Donnell, with the half-back also delivering a delicious pass for Darnell McIntosh to score against his former club. Standing up when Leigh needed him, the little Papua New Guinea was at his brilliant best, showing just why Hull put in a strong move for the talent.

O'Donnell, though, takes the headlines. The back rower was excellent throughout, running strong lines and pushing on the kicks to score his tries, while Zak Hardaker also notched his own try brace and milestone at that. Hull, meanwhile, will be disappointed after a competitive first-half account. They were well off the pace after the break, with poor discipline and some fatigue on show.

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They were level at half-time, with a medley of young players standing tall again. However, the side couldn't sustain the required level in the second half, with Leigh running out for a comprehensive victory.

Making four changes to his side, Simon Grix handed out two debuts to Jed Cartwright and Sam Eseh, with Jack Charles and Herman Ese'ese coming back into the side. Zach Jebson was also drafted into the 17, with the young forward coming in as the 18th man last week.

Leigh fielded two future Hull players, John Asiata and Hardaker, and after a cagey opening quarter, it was the home side who struck first. With the numerical advantage after Will Gardiner was sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements, they made their territory count, with O'Donnell cutting back on the inside to score his first of a superb quartet.

The Leythers then smelt blood and added a second as Frankie Halton stormed onto Lam's short pass. However, Hull, at this stage, showed some spirit to fight back, and after the half-hour mark, they finally got their reward, with Denive Balmforth providing the instant impact. Injecting a bit of pace into Hull, his pass saw Carlos Tuimavave break away, who in turn found the supporting Logan Moy for a fine try.

It was then Leigh's turn to go a man down, with Darnell McIntosh yellow carded after a dangerous tip tackle on Lewis Martin. Hull, with the bit between their teeth, made it count, with a left-to-right shift involving Jack Charles and Jack Walker putting Harvey Barron over in the corner, with the winger finishing strong despite the attentions of Josh Charnley and co.

Returning to the field, Hull were dealt a blow early in the second half, with Cartwright leaving the field for a HIA. Leigh then took the lead again, with O'Donnell pouncing on Lam's well-weighted kick to score. The Leopards then hit Hull again through Hardaker, with the stand-in full-back supporting O'Donnell's offload to dive over the line.

As the hour mark approached, Leigh suffered another sin bin, with Owen Trout sent for ten after a head contact with Yusuf Aydin. However, it didn't faze the Leopards, who extended their lead throughMcIntosh, who took Lam's delicious pass to stroll in out wide.

Lam then clicked into gear again, with his kick met by O'Donnell to score his hat-trick try. The back-rower then added his fourth score, gathering another kick, with Leigh's second-half rout completed as Hardaker rounded off the scoring to land his 150th career try.

For Hull, it was a poor second half, with Cartwright and Aydin both passing their HIAs, a small consolation. The Magic Weekend, and London Broncos, are up next.

Teams

Leigh Starting XIII: 3. Zak Hardaker; 34. Darnell McIntosh, 24. Umlya Hanley, 4. Ricky Leutele, 5. Josh Charnley; 12. Jack Hughes, 7. Lachlan Lam; 8. Tom Amone, 9. Edwin Ipape, 10. Robbie Mulhern; 11. Kai O'Donnell, 16. Frankie Halton; 13. John Asiata

Interchange: 33. Brad Dwyer, 15. Matt Davies, 35. Aaron Pene, 17. Owen Trout. 18th Man: 36. Bailey Hodgson

Hull Starting XIII: 37. Logan Moy: 25. Harvey Barron, 3. Carlos Tuimavave, 44. Tom Briscoe, 26. Lewis Martin; 31. Jack Walker, 40. Jack Charles; 8. Herman Ese’ese, 19. Morgan Smith, 45. Yusuf Aydin; 48. Jed Cartwright, 51. Leon Ruan; 21. Will Gardiner

Interchange: 27. Zach Jebson, 28. Denive Balmforth, 46. Tiaki Chan, 52. Sam Eseh

18th Man: 49. Will Kirby

Scorers

Leigh Tries: O'Donnell 4, Halton, Hardaker 2, McIntosh. Goals: McIntosh 3/5, Hardaker 2/3

Sin Bin: McIntosh, Trout

Hull Tries: Moy, Barron. Goals: Charles 2/2

Sin Bin: Gardiner

Scoring System: 6-0, 12-0, 12-6, 12-12, HT, 16-12, 22-12, 26-12, 30-12, 36-12,

Referee: Jack Smith

Attendance: 8,400