LEEDS RHINOS 18 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 16
PHIL CAPLAN, AMT Headingley, Boxing Day
THE name Sinfield loomed large as Leeds won a thoroughly enjoyable Boxing Day encounter between two sides showing encouraging promise for the season ahead.
Young Wakefield winger Dom Sinfield scored a spectacular try in the corner, put over by Josh Rourke and Noah Booth with six minutes to play, but George Brown sensationally recovered the restart to force his way over and Jack Sinfield landed the wide-out conversion to claim victory for the Rhinos.
“The majority of the squad, apart from Jarrod O’Connor who’ll go for a scan, got through healthy which is nice, physically we looked fit, our effort areas were good,” said Leeds head coach Brad Arthur.
“It wasn’t about a win or loss but that they got time in their legs, and it was great for the young boys. George really wanted that try and it was a great experience for them that you can’t get through training.”
The contest had added piquancy, rebuilt Wakefield with six donning the colours for the first time and Leeds playing all five of their signings under Arthur’s edict of the need to fight for places before squad numbers are given out.
Most home interest centred on Jake Connor after the withdrawal of Alfie Edgell having suffered a broken jaw in training, and whether he could win over the fans.
In fine conditions, he answered in the eighth minute with the opening try on the back of consecutive goal-line drop-outs, dummying his way through to the posts and converting after Leeds had swung the ball left and then right.
Connor followed that up with a second and another shimmy as Brodie Croft moved the ball right after James Bentley had forced an error on the Trinity 40.
The visitors commendably hung in the contest and finally gained some field position on the back of a Seth Nikotemo charge, but Leeds’ defence was unyielding especially after Ryan Hall – cheered throughout on his return – had lost possession on his own ten-metre line.
Rhinos saw out the danger impressively and countered with the first-half highlight, Harry Newman jinking and Maika Sivo set free on a 70-metre run, only for Trinity to scramble well to deny Ash Handley.
Leeds made wholesale changes at the break, bringing in number of Academy players, but Joe Diskin lost the ball over his shoulder and Booth went the length of the field for Trinity’s opening score.
Booth could have had another with the next play, but impressive Cam Scott’s pass on halfway was ruled forward.
Diskin and Marcus Qareqare both dropped kicks from Olly Russell before Harvey Smith’s fine pass from dummy-half close in saw Nikotemo bound over.
Trinity lost the ball on the restart set but their goal-line defence held out impressively. Sam Lisone was held up, as was Tom Nicholson-Watton, before the dramatic finale that captivated almost 11,000 fans, excited for when the sides meet for real in six weeks’ time.
“We started poorly but the second half I was pleased, the young players did well,” commented Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell. “We hung in there to get control, the ending was unfortunate but I enjoyed it.”
There was supreme poignancy in the pre-game remembrances with three Leeds Hall of Famers lost during 2024 – Lewis Jones, Rob Burrow and Syd Hynes.
GAMESTAR: An impressive debut from Jake Connor with two tries from fullback and a stint at stand-off to stake his claim for a Super League starting spot.
GAMEBREAKER: Jack Sinfield’s late conversion from out wide won Leeds the game after George Brown’s superb opportunism from a kick-off.
RHINOS
1 Jake Connor
2 Maika Sivo
3 Harry Newman
4 Ash Handley
5 Ryan Hall
6 Brodie Croft
7 Matt Frawley
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
9 Andy Ackers
10 Keenan Palasia
11 James Bentley
12 James McDonnell
13 Cameron Smith
Subs (all used)
14 Jarrod O’Connor
15 Sam Lisone
16 Jack Smith
17 Cooper Jenkins
18 Jack Sinfield
19 Tom Nicholson-Watton
20 Riley Lumb
21 Joe Diskin
22 Toby Warren
23 Presley Cassell
24 Jacob Stead
25 Tom Holroyd
26 George Brown
27 Marcus Qareqare
28 Harley Thomas
Tries: Connor (8, 15), Brown (76)
Goals: Connor 2/2, Sinfield 1/1
TRINITY
23 Josh Rourke
1 Oli Pratt
3 Cam Scott
4 Corey Hall
2 Lachlan Walmsley
6 Jake Trueman
7 Olly Russell
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
28 Harvey Smith
10 Ky Rodwell
11 Seth Nikotemo
18 Isaiah Vagana
21 Mathieu Cozza
Subs (all used)
5 Rowan Stephenson
12 Ellis Lingard
13 Dom Sinfield
16 Cain Staveley-Carr
17 Zach McSwiney
19 Tom Delaney
20 Mason Lino
22 Luke Bain
25 Jack Croft
26 Cass Walker-Smith
27 Isaac Shaw
29 Noah Booth
Tries: Booth (47), Nikotemo (61), Sinfield (74)
Goals: Russell 2/2, Rourke 0/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0; 12-6, 12-12, 12-16, 18-16
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rhinos: Jake Connor; Trinity: Seth Nikotemo
Penalty count: 5-6
Half-time: 12-0
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 10,883
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