Risk brings reward as Leeds Rhinos pile pressure on St Helens boss Paul Wellens

ST HELENS 4 LEEDS RHINOS 17
PHIL CAPLAN, St James’s Park, Newcastle, Saturday

IN THE most intriguing match-up of Magic Weekend, Leeds’ continual risk brought them reward in the chilling evening air.

Dominant in the first half, it took until three minutes from time for the Rhinos to guarantee the spoils as St Helens changed their spine to spark some revival.

In the teams’ first Magic meeting, Leeds ended a run of six straight defeats to Saints including their Challenge Cup clash in March.

Paul Wellens faced a critical decision on the make-up of his side, with growing clamour to replace Tristan Sailor and recall Jonny Lomax. The skipper was only restored to the bench while Deon Cross debuted in the centre.

Alfie Edgell, in for his first Super League start after suffering a broken jaw in pre-season, replaced Ryan Hall, Jack Sinfield retaining his spot and the Rhinos going for a sizable bench.

After bruising opening sets, Leeds opened up on the last tackle. Jake Connor found Ash Handley, Morgan Gannon supported on the inside and his measured kick was picked off by Riley Lumb.

Sailor lost the ball on his own 40 and Connor was then heavily involved but Lachlan Miller’s pass just eluded Lumb, who would have been in for his second.

Miller’s next involvement led to a second spectacular score. Keenan Palasia found Sinfield and Miller linked with Harry Newman, who fed Edgell for Miller to take the pass back on the inside to score and convert.

Saints couldn’t capitalize on a Leeds mistake as the Rhinos again looked to go wide, twice giving up the ball cheaply. Edgell was just halted and George Whitby fumbled on his own 15.

From the scrum, Connor’s lobbed pass put Lumb into space and heading for the corner, but Sailor’s despairing cover tackle was magnificent, jolting the ball free.

On the back of a penalty and Saints’ first foray into the Leeds quarter, Cross found Bennison but Lumb and Miller bundled him into touch.

Sailor was penalised in possession for pulling Connor’s ankle and Morgan Knowles tipped James McDonnell over the horizontal, but Miller missed a penalty shot from 30 metres out and in front.

Lomax then came on for Bennison, Sailor moving to the wing and Jack Welsby to fullback as St Helens rang the changes.

Daryl Clark, on for Morgan Knowles who went for an HIA, livened the red vee up. Curtis Sironen was held up and Lewis Murphy was unable to gather a Whitby cross kick as the half ended with Leeds ten points up.

Rhinos began the second half similarly expansively but Welsby plucked off a Sinfield high kick and elicited a penalty, on the back of which Matt Whitley dummied his way over.

Welsby attempted a 40/20 but was short, Jarrod O’Connor burst clear and, on the last, Connor tried a rainbow pass which Sailor picked off. Handley and Miller then had try-saving interventions as momentum swung.

Leeds put themselves under increasing pressure and Connor had to produce a fine tackle to deny Lomax.

George Delaney and Knowles also went close and Rhinos held from a Clark brea, before a Welsby kick on the last saw Murphy sin-binned for a reckless leap into Edgell.

At the end of the next set, Sinfield landed an all-important field-goal for a two-score lead.

Another Miller break looked to have seen Connor and Handley send Lumb over, but he had a foot in touch.

Chasing the game, Saints twice lost the ball coming out their quarter but when they broke down the right, Whitby’s cross kick was knocked-on by Sailor, ruling out a potential Cross touchdown.

Miller then took a quick tap and Connor’s lovely short pass sent in Gannon to seal the win.

GAMESTAR: Lachlan Miller was a thorn in the Saints side throughout, probing and dissecting their defence on attack and marshalling the Rhinos’ defence superbly.

GAMEBREAKER: Jack Sinfield’s astute field-goal on the hour put Leeds two scores ahead, causing Saints to force too many passes.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Leeds’s second try, involving six pairs of hands and finished by Lachlan Miller, was magic.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE MEDAL
3 pts Lachlan Miller (Leeds)
2 pts Jake Connor (Leeds)
1 pt Daryl Clark (St Helens)

MATCHFACTS
SAINTS
6 Tristan Sailor
5 Jon Bennison
36 Deon Cross (D)
4 Mark Percival
20 Lewis Murphy
1 Jack Welsby
27 George Whitby
17 Agnatius Paasi
14 Moses Mbye
10 Matty Lees
11 Curtis Sironen
16 Matt Whitley
13 Morgan Knowles
Subs (all used)
19 George Delaney
8 Alex Walmsley
7 Jonny Lomax
9 Daryl Clark
18th man (not used)
18 Jake Wingfield
Also in 21-man squad
21 Noah Stephens
29 Dayon Sambou
30 Owen Dagnall

Tries: Whitley (46)
Goals: Whitby 0/1
Sin bin: Murphy (60) – foul play

RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miller
21 Alfie Edgell
3 Harry Newman
4 Ash Handley
23 Riley Lumb
18 Jake Connor
20 Jack Sinfield
10 Keenan Palasia
14 Jarrod O’Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
12 James McDonnell
16 Morgan Gannon
28 Kallum Watkins
Subs (all used)
19 Tom Holroyd
11 James Bentley
15 Sam Lisone
17 Cooper Jenkins
18th man (not used)
7 Matt Frawley
Also in 21-man squad
5 Ryan Hall
22 Tom Nicholson-Watton
– Presley Cassell