![Leigh Centurions win AB Sundecks 1895 Cup](jpg/80358.jpg)
Former NRL star Blake Ferguson was among the tries in his second match in England to help Leigh Centurions become the third winners of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup with a 30-16 victory over holders Featherstone Rovers.
The 32-year-old former Sydney Roosters, Parramatta, Canberra and Cronulla winger scored four tries on his Centurions debut a week ago and grabbed another at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to help them lift the first silverware of the season in the clash of the two Betfred Championship heavyweights.
Brian McDermott's Featherstone, who currently top the table a point ahead of their big rivals, will be hoping to have the last laugh if the pair meet again in September's Grand Final, with a place in Betfred Super League at stake.
Ferguson's opposite number Craig Hall scored all Rovers' points with two tries and four goals, but the most notable contribution came from Leigh hooker Edwin Ipape, the Papua New Guinea international who made a massive impact from the bench.
Hall opened the scoring with the first of three penalty goals after only three minutes, but Leigh scored the first try courtesy of winger Krisnan Inu, who leapt above Luke Briscoe to touch down stand-off Ben Reynolds' kick to the corner.
Reynolds dummied his way over for his side's second try on 29 minutes and Inu kicked his second conversion, but the scores were locked at 12-12 at half-time thanks to the indiscipline of the Centurions and the boot of Hall.
The errors continued in the second half, with Leigh loose forward John Asiata losing his grip on the ball as he attempted to plant it on the line.
Leigh were gaining the ascendancy and they went in front for the third time eight minutes into the second half with a penalty from Inu after former Leeds Rhinos second rower Brett Ferres was pulled up for a high tackle on Kai O'Donnell.
They then extended their lead four minutes later when a cut-out pass by full-back Caleb Aekins got Ferguson over at the corner and there was no way back for Featherstone when man of the match Ipape jinked his way over for Leigh's fourth try on 57 minutes.
Back rower Junior Moors got Hall over for his second try, the Centurions had the final say when second rower Sam Stone pounced on Joe Mellor's kick to the line and Inu kicked his fifth goal.