LEEDS RHINOS 40 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 22
PHIL CAPLAN, AMT Headingley, Friday

LEEDS overcame three sinbinnings to remain top of the pile in a see-saw contest against a Wakefield side that wouldn’t go away in another thrilling clash between the West Yorkshire rivals.

Maika Sivo continued his sensational try-scoring form with a hat-trick, despite only playing for 70 minutes having been one of those to see yellow.

Unprecedented in the current injury glut elsewhere, the 17 players who have all played the last five games for the unchanged Rhinos were retained.

Trinity were without Max Jowitt, Tom Johnstone, Seth Nikotemo, Jazz Tevaga and Isaiah Vagana, but Mason Lino was back in place of Jack Sinfield.

And they lost Cameron Scott after only five minutes due to a nasty collision which resulted in play being stopped for twelve minutes.

The derby was invested with an element of added spice because Trinity dumped the Rhinos out of the Challenge Cup, but Wakefield made a disastrous start, Mike McMeeken spilling the play the ball on his own ten-metre line.

When Corey Hall was penalised on the last for impeding Jack Bird, Jake Connor kicked the penalty for the opening two points.

From the kick-off, Keenan Palasia’s full-blooded charge saw Scott mistime his challenge, necessitating the long delay as he was treated with necessary care and stretchered off, with Will Tate coming on.

Leeds’ first try on 15 minutes was created by Jake Connor’s beautifully-timed pass and Ash Handley’s delicious bat on, putting Sivo in at the corner, with Connor goaling from the sideline.

Cameron Smith, on for Brodie Croft as he underwent – and passed – an HIA, marauded up the middle and gained a set restart, from which Palasia and Connor shipped Kallum Watkins to the posts.

The visitors got back in the contest when Handley kicked a recovered ball dead to concede a seven-tackle set, Wakefield gained a penalty from a ball steal and Jake Trueman’s lobbed pass saw Tate send the ball inside for Oliver Pratt to cross. Lino added the touchline conversion for 14-6.

But six minutes later, James McDonnell offloaded for Connor and Lachlan Miller’s long pass saw Sivo smash into the corner, where Connor again managed to goal.

Trinity found a lifeline at the end of the first half as Sivo was sinbinned for a late challenge on Josh Rourke, from which Tray Lolesio powered over three defenders and Lino’s conversion made it 20-12.

The first points of the new half again came from Connor’s boot. After his high kick was spilled by Wakefield and retrieved in an offside position, Connor took the two points on offer.

Leeds were temporarily down to eleven men when Handley was sinbinned for impeding Rourke over the tryline after Tate had kicked inside, and Trinity spread the ball wide for Jayden Myers to step and plunge over in a fine finish, with Lino again deadeye from the touchline.

Rhinos hit back when Trueman’s shallow kick was poached by Connor on halfway, with Croft in support to cross.

After Handley returned and Smith was just denied, Danny Levi lost the ball on halfway and Trinity took advantage. Trueman flicked a pass and Rourke kicked to the corner for Myers to catch and dot down spectacularly.

Leeds responded, Connor again causing consternation with a run, following which Chris Hankinson and Handley sent in Sivo for his hat-trick score.

Wakefield were offside from the restart and gave away a further penalty for a ball steal, allowing Connor to extend the gap to twelve points.

Bird was sinbinned for the last six minutes for throwing away the ball in goal but it didn’t matter, as Trinity were penalised for obstruction, gave away a set restart and Jarrod O’Connor grubbered in behind for Croft to gather and cross.

GAMESTAR: It’s again hard to look beyond Jake Connor, who provided a number of try assists with his sumptuous passing or huge kicks and landed eight out of nine goals.

GAMEBREAKER: Connor’s 68th-minute penalty edged Leeds twelve points ahead and even though Wakefield kept coming back throughout, that proved a gap too great.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jake Trueman’s flick pass for Josh Rourke to tee up Jayden Myers, who applied a fine finish in the corner.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jake Connor (Leeds)
2 pts Keenan Palasia (Leeds)
1 pt Jayden Myers (Wakefield)

MATCHFACTS

RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miller
5 Ryan Hall
33 Jack Bird
4 Ash Handley
2 Maika Sivo
6 Brodie Croft
7 Jake Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
23 Danny Levi
13 Keenan Palasia
12 James McDonnell
14 Chris Hankinson
11 Kallum Watkins
Subs (all used)
9 Jarrod O’Connor
10 Tom Holroyd
15 Cooper Jenkins
17 Cameron Smith
18th man (not used)
20 Presley Cassell
Also in 21-man squad
16 Ethan O’Neill
28 Fergus McCormack
– Harley Thomas

Tries: Sivo (14, 31, 65), Watkins (20), Croft (52, 76)
Goals: Connor 8/9
Sin bin: Sivo (39) – late tackle, Handley (47) – obstruction, Bird (74) – professional foul

TRINITY
23 Josh Rourke
2 Oliver Pratt
3 Cameron Scott
4 Corey Hall
21 Jayden Myers
6 Jake Trueman
7 Mason Lino
8 Mike McMeeken
9 Tyson Smoothy
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
12 Matty Storton
14 Jay Pitts
10 Ky Rodwell
Subs (all used)
16 Caius Faatili
17 Harvey Smith
24 Tray Lolesio
32 Will Tate
18th man (not used)
20 Jack Sinfield
Also in 21-man squad
33 Charlie Abraham
– Robbie Brook
– Zack Clegg

Tries: Pratt (25), Lolesio (39), Myers (48, 63)
Goals: Lino 3/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 8-0, 14-0, 14-6, 20-6, 20-12; 22-12, 22-18, 28-18, 28-22, 32-22, 34-22, 40-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rhinos: Jake Connor; Trinity: Jayden Myers

Penalty count: 7-6
Half-time: 20-12
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 15,145