Leeds Rhinos were looking for a sixth consecutive victory as
they travelled to the Totally Wicked Stadium for a clash with a St Helens side
who have had an indifferent season so far in 2025.
The Rhinos were unchanged from last week’s demolition of the
Warrington Wolves while Saints were without impressive newcomer George Whitby
and Curtis Sironen who both miss out after picking up injuries in the big win
over Salford Red Devils last weekend.
The Rhinos were slight favourites with the bookies, handicapped
by two points on the coupon, as they looked to repeat their Magic Weekend win
and take a two to one lead in the third of this season’s four games between the
two sides.
An unforced error from Lachie Miller, dropping the ball as
he stood to play was compounded by a Harry Newman high tackle. Saints were
under the shadow of the sticks and opted to kick the penalty, Kyle Feldt
putting his side into a two-point lead.
When Leeds broke too early from the scrum on the twenty,
Saints doubled their lead through the boot of Feldt, the Rhinos struggling to
get any sets in the Saints half.
A Ryan Hall intercept on his own thirty saw the old timer go
for the corner but a chasing pack of Saints defenders caught him just short and
rolled him into touch, Harry Robertson with a try saver.
Two minutes from the interval the Rhinos lost the ball
inside their own twenty to load the pressure on again. On the third play, Deon Cross
found some space left, dropped the shoulder and went in for the opening try of
the game. Feldt was wide with the conversion attempt on the half time hooter,
Saints going into the sheds with an 8-0 lead.
Leeds were looking like a different side early in the second
half and forced a goal line dropout on forty-five. A great run by Sam Lisone
set the Rhinos on the front foot and then fast hands the left after a Miller
break through a broken defence saw the ball into the hands of Riley Lumb to
dive over in the corner. Jake Connor hit the near post with his conversion attempt,
but the Rhinos were right back in the game.
Jarrod O’Connor scooted for the line on the last tackle on
fifty but was held just short of the line, the Rhinos with the momentum.
The game was becoming increasingly brutal, and increasingly
frantic.
On sixty-three, from the back of the scrum following a Leeds
knock-on, Saints moved the ball down the line with Owen Dagnall on the overlap
to score in the corner. Feldt added the conversion from wide for 14-4.
A frantic last twenty was filled with errors from both side
but Saints sealed the win with five seconds remaining as Tristan Sailor went
over in the corner after Leeds failed to diffuse a high bomb. Feldt was wide
with the conversion attempt, Saints with an impressive 18-4 victory.
A good Saints performance but an awful one from the Rhinos which
leaves both sides where they were at kick-off in the league table but moved
Saints to within a point of Leigh in fourth place and just two behind the
Rhinos. With Wigan also losing tonight the Rhinos lose no ground on second spot, but they are
further adrift of Hull KR in top spot.
St Helens: Sailor (T), Feldt (G 3/5), Robertson, Cross (T),
Dagnall (T), Lomax, Mbye, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Wingfield, Whitley, Knowles. Subs: Paasi, Delaney, Stephens, Burns. 18th
Man: Bennison.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hall, Newman, Handley, Lumb (T),
Connor (G 0/1), Croft, Palasia, O’Connor, Oledzki, McDonnell, Gannon, Watkins.
Subs: Holroyd, Lisone, Bentley, Smith. 18th Man: Jenkins.
Half-Time: 8-0.
Full-Time: 18-4.
Score Progression: 2-0, 4-0, 8-0 : HT: 8-4, 12-4, 14-4, 18-4
:FT.
Lead Exchanges: St Helens.
Referee: Jack Smith.
