Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield was sensationally dismissed for headbutting Castleford star Luke Dorn with eight minutes remaining as the Rhinos and Tigers finished level on 24 points each.
The Tigers opened the scoring when Michael Shenton touched down in the first minute, with Marc Sneyd adding the conversion.
The Rhinos levelled when Tom Briscoe jumped for a Danny McGuire kick to the right corner to touch down, with Kevin Sinfield adding the goal.
And they took the lead when Ryan Bailey scored with his first touch of the ball after coming on as a substitute.
But the Tigers pulled back when Weller Hauraki touched down from a fine offload by Kirk Dixon, with Sneyd again converting.
Carl Ablett restored the lead for the Rhinos, when he took a wide pass from McGuire and juggled the ball before touching it down, with Sinfield again converting, before the Tigers drew level again when Nathan Massey scored his first try of the season from dummy-half, with Sneyd adding the easy conversion after 32 minutes.
Justin Carney touched down for the Tigers after 46 minuys, but the video referee gave a very harsh obstruction call, with Shenton being dubiously called for obstructing Kallum Watkins.
Kylie Leuluai was then held up over the line on 55 minutes, and then Jamie Peacock was penalised for a high tackle on Justin Carney before Briscoe pulled off a legal trysaving tackle on the same player.
Leeds then went to the other end of the field and Ablett followed up a kick by Joel Moon and his own kick to touch down just inside the dead-ball line. Sinfield added the goal to restore a six-point lead for the Rhinos.
Leeds looked to be lining up for a drop-goal by Sinfield, but instead McGuire won a goal-line drop-out with a kick to the line.
Sinfield was then sent off in a sensational incident for headbutting Luke Dorn.
And two minutes later, after the Tigers were awarded another penalty, Grant Millington got over the line and Sneyd levelled the score at 24-24.
With three minutes remaining Lee Jewitt knocked the ball on in the tackle, but the Rhinos couldn’t take advantage.
A full report, analysis and photos will feature in Monday’s edition of Rugby League Express.
