Fresh from hammering the Huddersfield Giants six days ago, the Leeds Rhinos made the trip to the Halliwell-Jones to face a Warrington Wolves side who fell to a surprise defeat at the hands of the Castleford Tigers on their last outing.
A win for the home side would put them back level on points with the league leaders, but unless it was by a margin of seventy points or more, they would still be second on points difference, while the Rhinos knew that they couldn’t improve their league position, but could get closer to seventh placed Hull KR.
The Wolves were the slight favourites with the bookies but with the Rhinos only having been given a two-point start on the coupon they really had a dilemma over who would win the game and take the two points.
On six minutes the Rhinos turned defence into attack when Blake Austin found a gap to break downfield before finding Aidan Sezer in support who drew the defence before putting Sam Walters free to score by the left upright. Rhyse Martin added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
A defensive mix-up from Sezer and David Fusitu’a gifted the Wolves the ball from the kick-off but that couldn’t benefit from it and spilled the ball to the Rhinos who used their set of six to take the ball the length of the field. Richie Myler feeding Ash Handley on the wing to beat his man and leap for the corner to score. Martin pushed his kick wide of the far upright, but it was the dream start for the visitors.
On fourteen minutes it was like taking candy from a baby as the Rhinos went in again, Handley taking the pass from Martin to walk over in an acre of space to score. Martin added the goal from wide, the Rhinos scoring at a point a minute.
A shoulder charge from Sam Kasiano on Handley saw the Warrington substitute sin-binned, possibly a little lucky not to see red. On the next set the Rhinos forced back-to-back drop-outs before Austin went through a gap and crawled to the line but the video referee chalked the try off for an obstruction by James Bentley.
Warrington survived the next ten minutes with a man down and after twenty-four minutes of stalemate the sides went into the sheds with the visitors holding a 16-0 lead and having protected their line for three consecutive halves.
The start to the second half was bad tempered and scrappy from both sides. On sixty-two, and forty-seven minutes after the scorers were last troubled, Warrington finally opened their account for the night with Stefan Ratchford flicking a pass to Matty Ashton to ground in the left corner. Ratchford floated his touchline conversion between the uprights for 6-16, the Wolves with the smallest glimmer of hope.
On sixty-nine the Rhinos sealed the win when Sam Lisone and Walters combined to put Myler over under the sticks. Martin added the goal for 22-6, the Rhinos taking the two points and condemning Warrington to a third consecutive loss.
It’s another two points for the Rhinos as ‘Brilliant Leeds’ turned up rather than the ‘Rubbish Leeds’ who capitulated to Wakefield and Castleford a few weeks ago. The Rhinos seem to be able to turn on the style to beat the top sides, while losing to those down the bottom of the table. Blake Austin is in superb form for Leeds, and Sezer had a great game too, as did Myler while Sam Walters is looking like the finished article in the forwards. A great all round team performance from Leeds which leaves Daryl Powell scratching his head and wondering where his side’s early season form has disappeared to.
Warrington Wolves: Thewlis, Russell, Mata’utia, Ratchford (G), Ashton (T), Dufty, Drinkwater, Dudson, Clark, Vaughan, Currie, Holroyd, Philbin. Subs: Kasiano (SB on 22), Walker, Bullock, Wrench. 18th Man: Green.
Leeds Rhinos: Myler (T), Fusitu’a, MacDonald, Martin (3G), Handley (2T), Austin, Sezer, Oledzki, O’Connor, Walters (T), McDonnell, Bentley, Smith. Subs: Johnson, Donaldson, Lisone, Holroyd. 18th Man: Roberts.
Half-Time: 0-16.
Full-Time: 6-22.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-14, 0-16, (SB) : HT: 4-16, 6-16, 6-20, 6-22 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leeds.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
