LEEDS RHINOS 42 BRADFORD BULLS 12
PHIL CAPLAN, AMT Headingley, Sunday

LEEDS remain two points clear at the top after maintaining their unbeaten home record, subduing valiant Bradford, who enjoyed the best of the opening 20 minutes until Jake Connor took charge.

Bench strength also proved to be key, with Tom Holroyd and Presley Cassell making significant impacts for the Rhinos.

This was the third 2026 instalment of a derby which defined the early years of Super League but had been absent from AMT Headingley for the last dozen.

And a crowd of more than 16,000 showed the appeal even if Leeds had posted 50 points against their neighbours three weeks before.

Leeds, looking to get back on their horse after a stumble at Castleford, brought back Jarrod O’Connor to replace Danny Levi and handed Ben Littlewood his first career start – which only last 35 minutes – replacing HIA victim Chris Hankinson, with skipper Kallum Watkins restored to the starting line-up.

Bulls coach Kurt Haggerty could only name a 19-man squad, the club currently without 15 first-team players due to injury, although Phoenix Steinwede was back.

The sides exchanged early penalties, Bradford looking to spread the ball or offload at every opportunity and their defence driving Jack Bird back over his own line, Lachlan Miller putting the ball out on the full.

From the turnover, Jack Ormondroyd and Ryan Sutton went close, Chris Atkin grubbering precisely on the last and Guy Armitage just getting to the ball to open the scoring, with Luke Hooley converting.

Bradford conceded two penalties as Connor, Brodie Croft and Miller combined, but Leeds lost Maika Sivo with a suspected broken arm having put a huge hit on Hooley.

Bradford successfully challenged a goal-line drop-out concession, and Jaiden Nikorima bravely passed behind his line to get his side moving once more as the home fans were quietened.

They came back to life when James McDonnell, filling in at centre, intercepted Atkin’s pass and romped half the length of the field on his 100th Leeds appearance. Connor kicked the first of seven goals from seven attempts.

Bradford gave away a penalty and six-again from the next set, Holroyd went close and Connor darted over but was deemed to have made a double movement and the try was disallowed.

Play swung from end to end, Bradford spilling the ball on the last tackle, but when Leeds tried similar, Connor, Watkins and Harry Newman combined to put McDonnell over again.

Between conceding consecutive set restarts, Bradford also gave away the ball on halfway, O’Connor, Connor and Croft interpassing for O’Connor to go over just before the break, with the visitors’ Nikorima taken off with a shoulder problem.

Miller lost the ball on halfway and kicked long to give away a seven-tackle set and, at the end of it, Ethan Ryan took a Riley Dean high kick and combined with Atkin to take a return pass and go over five minutes into the second half. Hooley again improved.

With the wind in his favour, Connor kicked a monstrous 40/20 that was actually a 15/10, Holroyd powering over from it.

Leeds went back-to-back, with Connor’s kick on the last allowed to bounce and Croft collecting to wrestle over.

As the hosts looked to spread the play, Miller went close. Ryan knocked on saving the ball going wide on the last, Leeds chose to the reset the scrum after an offside and Connor put Cooper Jenkins over.

Miller and Croft both knocked on when seemingly in the clear, Ryan doing likewise after Armitage intercepted Miller’s pass.

Following a Cassell break, Connor put in Watkins, who played the full 80 minutes before Connor Wynne spilled Bradford’s last chance set up by Dean.

GAMESTAR: While not at his best and carrying a groin injury, Jake Connor sparked into life after the break to set up the four Leeds tries which determined the game – and he didn’t miss a shot at goal.

GAMEBREAKER: Jake Connor’s astonishing, effectively 15/10 kick after Bradford had just scored at the start of the second half, from which Tom Holroyd crashed over.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Guy Armitage’s bone-rattling first-half tackle on Brodie Croft which rocked the Leeds man in his boots.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jake Connor (Leeds)
2 pts James McDonnell (Leeds)
1 pt Joe Mellor (Bradford)

MATCHFACTS

RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miller
21 Alfie Edgell
3 Harry Newman
33 Jack Bird
2 Maika Sivo
6 Brodie Croft
7 Jake Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
9 Jarrod O’Connor
15 Cooper Jenkins
25 Ben Littlewood
12 James McDonnell
11 Kallum Watkins
Subs (not used)
10 Tom Holroyd
17 Cameron Smith
20 Presley Cassell
26 Tom Nicholson-Watton
18th man (not used)
36 Zak Lloyd
Also in 21-man squad
22 Riley Lumb
24 Ned McCormack
28 Fergus McCormack

Tries: McDonnell (24, 30), O’Connor (37), Holroyd (49), Croft (52), Jenkins (60), Watkins (75)
Goals: Connor 7/7

BULLS
1 Caleb Aekins
23 Connor Wynne
24 Guy Armitage
22 Luke Hooley
5 Ethan Ryan
6 Jayden Nikorima
32 Chris Atkin
8 Ryan Sutton
9 Andy Ackers
33 Jack Ormondroyd
34 Phoenix Steinwede
12 Zac Fulton
13 Joe Mellor
Subs (all used)
16 Ebon Scurr
19 Will Gardiner
25 Eliot Peposhi
38 Riley Dean
18th man (not used)
27 Alfie Leake
Also in 19-man squad
– Harvey Ward

Tries: Armitage (10), Ryan (45)
Goals: Hooley 2/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 12-6, 18-6; 18-12, 24-12, 30-12, 36-12, 42-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rhinos: Jake Connor; Bulls: Joe Mellor

Penalty count: 7-5
Half-time: 18-6
Referee: Aaron Moore
Attendance: 16,548