Leeds reclaimed the top spot in the Betfred Super League after delivering a dominant 34‑6 performance at St Helens on Friday night. The Rhinos crossed the try line six times at the Brewdog Stadium, a display that not only halted the Saints' recent surge but also pushed the Merseysiders out of the play‑off positions with just two rounds left in the campaign. The match opened with Chris Hankinson breaking the deadlock for Leeds, thanks to a cleverly timed pass from Jake Connor that slipped past the Saints' defence. That early advantage set the tone, and Leeds quickly built on it.
Within a short span, Cameron Smith and Harry Newman each added a try, establishing a comfortable lead before the halftime whistle. Leeds continued to pile on the pressure after the break. Veteran winger Ryan Hall, dynamic centre Ash Handley and powerful forward Brodie Croft each found the try‑line, completing a comprehensive victory.
Connor, who proved instrumental throughout the game, successfully converted five of the six Leeds tries, demonstrating his accuracy from both conversion and penalty range. His only miss came when a penalty kick struck the upright late in the second half. The Rhinos' win was a decisive response to Wigan's recent demolition of Hull KR, which had temporarily propelled the champions ahead of Leeds on Thursday. From the first whistle, Leeds dictated the tempo, frustrating a Saints side that had been rejuvenated under interim coach Eamon O'Carroll after back‑to‑back victories that had revived their hopes of breaking into the top six.
Leeds' early pressure paid dividends after just seven minutes when Connor’s delayed pass found Hankinson in space for the opening try. A brief pause in the broadcast reminded viewers to use Chrome for optimal video playback, but the action on the field remained relentless. Cooper Jenkins appeared to extend Leeds' lead shortly thereafter, but his effort was disallowed for a knock‑on in the build‑up.
St Helens began to find a rhythm as the half progressed, with Deon Cross twice denied clear‑away opportunities—first by a resilient Leeds defensive line and then by a referee’s call after a looping pass from Tristan Sailor was judged forward. The visitors were reduced to twelve men when Daniel Suluka‑Fifita received a sin‑bin for a late tackle on Presley Cassell, who subsequently underwent a head injury assessment and was cleared to continue.
Leeds pressed again, and Jack Bird came close to grounding a bouncing ball before Smith sliced through the Saints' defence for a spectacular individual try. The home crowd watched as the Rhinos added a third try just before the interval, with Newman finishing a sweeping move in the corner to make the score look insurmountable. The second half began with a near‑miss for Leeds when Tom Holroyd seemed to ground the ball in the in‑goal area, only for the video referee to rule that the grounding was incomplete.
The decision provided a brief respite for St Helens, but the momentum quickly swung back to Leeds when Bird delivered a brilliant flick pass to Hall, who slid over for his own try. Saints managed to register a consolation score when Jack Welsby broke free from a Jonny Lomax pass, evading a last‑ditch tackle by Lachie Miller and touching down, with Sailor converting.
However, Leeds resumed their dominance as Connor engineered two more tries. He first placed a delicate grubber kick that Handley collected for a try, then deliberately kicked the ball against the post, allowing Croft to pounce and score. Both conversions were slotted by Connor, cementing Leeds' control. Beyond the Leeds‑St Helens clash, other fixtures added intrigue to the round.
Huddersfield secured a crucial win near the bottom of the table, defeating Leigh 30‑18. Giants centre Cole Geyer shone, scoring twice as Huddersfield piled up five tries to climb to 14 points, edging past second‑bottom York.
Leigh's Owen Trout opened the scoring early, but Huddersfield responded with a try from Harry Rushton before halftime, establishing a 14‑6 lead. After the break, Niall Evalds added another try for the Giants, and despite a late surge from Leigh—including a try by Robbie Mulhern—the Giants held on, with Geyer sealing the victory with his second try. In another notable encounter, Catalans Dragons faced Castleford at the Tigers' historic ground. The match was interrupted for 35 minutes in the second half due to a power outage, but when play resumed, Catalans dominated, winning 34‑6.
Toby Sexton crossed twice, first under the posts after a precise left‑side kick from Edenn Rogers‑Smith, and later again to extend the lead. Rogers‑Smith added his own try, while Leo Darrelatour contributed two scores. Castleford's lone try came from Lazarus Vaalepu, who marked his home debut with a try under the posts, but it was insufficient to stem the tide.
The round also featured a brief note about streaming: viewers were advised to use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player, and a reminder that Sky Sports will broadcast every Super League match live this season, with two games each round shown exclusively on the main channel and the remaining five available on Sky Sports+. Overall, Leeds' emphatic victory not only restored them to the summit of the league but also dealt a significant blow to St Helens' play‑off ambitions.
With only two games remaining, the battle for the top six intensifies, and the Rhinos will look to maintain their momentum as the season draws to a close.