LEVEL par was not enough to keep afloat Simon Dyson's assault on the Smurfit European Championship.

The 27-year-old North Yorkshire favourite posted an even-par 72 in yesterday's second round at the K Club in County Kildare.

But allied to his first-round six-over-par 78 his 150 total was two shots adrift of the cut in the £2,300,000 tournament.

Dyson was again in good company. Also failing to make the business end of the championship was newly-crowned world number eight Padraig Harrington. He was nine-over after two rounds (79 74), while fellow Ryder Cup ace Ian Poulter posted 149 (81 68).

Joint overnight leaders going in to today's third round were Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Wales' Jamie Donaldson both five under par.

Rhinos on a charge

DANNY McGuire and Keith Senior scored two tries apiece as Leeds maintained their stranglehold over arch rivals Bradford last night.

The Bulls battled hard for an hour at Headingley but the engage Super League champions ultimately proved too strong as they powered away for a fifth successive regular season win against their neighbours.

The Rhinos, who also beat Bradford in last year's Grand Final, scored six tries in all with Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Ali Lauitiiti also touching down.

Captain Kevin Sinfield crowned another outstanding display with a 100 per cent goalkicking record.

Bradford managed five tries themselves but it was the extra class of Leeds that eventually told in front of a capacity 21,25 crowd.

Raikkonen deflated

KIMI Raikkonen will lose ten places on the grid for tomorrow's Frencg Grand Prix after he was forced to switch engines.

The Finn managed only a few laps in practice before his Mclaren stopped in a cloud of black smoke. The team later decided a new engine would be required.

Raikkonen, 22 points behinbd championship leader Fernando Alonso, had to watch as team-mate Pedro de la Eosa and Juan Pablo Montoya set the pace yesterday. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher took third in second practice with Alonoso fourth.

Relief for Millward

WIGAN coach Ian Millward has his sights set on the engage Super League play-off picture after last night's 30-22 victory over Leigh ended his side's mini crisis.

Successive record defeats at Leeds and St Helens had piled the pressure on Millward and the injury-hit Warriors.

But a purple patch at the start of the second half saw them overcome a half-time deficit to pick up a welcome win that lifts them five points above the drop zone.

Updated: 12:11 Saturday, July 02, 2005