Leeds Rhinos Extend Super League Dominance with Victory Over St Helens

Leeds Rhinos have widened their advantage at the summit of the Super League, securing a hard-fought 24-16 victory against St Helens at Headingley. The win sees Leeds move two points clear of both Saints and Warrington Wolves, who share the second position.

In a contest that, while not reaching the legendary status of last season’s dramatic play-off eliminator between these rivals, showcased the quality of both sides, Leeds overcame an early deficit to claim all three points. Alex Walmsley opened the scoring for St Helens, but Chris Hankinson quickly responded for the hosts. Kyle Feldt then silenced the Headingley crowd by crossing in the corner, and Tristan Sailor extended Saints’ lead just before halftime with a powerful run.

The second half proved to be a gritty affair. Harry Newman brought Leeds back into the contest early in the period, and the tide began to turn with the boot of Jake Connor. Connor’s initial penalty leveled the scores at 16-16. The momentum shifted decisively after David Klemmer was sin-binned for a late tackle on Hankinson. Connor converted the subsequent penalty to put Leeds ahead, and Maika Sivo added a late try to seal the result.

Leeds arrived with an unchanged lineup, taking an early 2-0 lead through Connor’s kicking against a St Helens side featuring five changes. However, Daryl Clark broke through the Leeds defense to set up Walmsley for the opening try. Although Leeds appeared to answer through Maika Sivo, the try was disallowed as the ball slipped out before he reached the line. Hankinson capitalized on a defensive lapse shortly after to score on his 100th Super League appearance, assisted by a clever pass from Connor.

St Helens regained the lead through Feldt, who was sent through by a swift Jonny Lomax pass. Saints increased their advantage when Jack Welsby delivered a precise grubber kick for Sailor to outrun Fergus McCormack.

Leeds refused to stay down. Following Connor’s long kick that pinned Saints back, Newman crossed to bring Leeds within striking distance. Connor then kicked a penalty to equalize. The decisive phase came when Klemmer’s infringement led to his temporary dismissal. Connor’s two penalty goals gave Leeds the lead, and he finished the game in style by selling a dummy to release Sivo for the final try.

A rare blemish on Leeds’ performance occurred in the dying moments when Cameron Smith was sin-binned for a professional foul.

Leeds Rhinos: McCormack; Hall, Newman, Handley, Sivo; Croft, Connor; Oledzki, O'Connor, Jenkins, Hankinson, McDonnell, Watkins. Interchanges: Palasia, Levi, Smith, Cassell.

St Helens: Welsby; Feldt, Robertson, Percival, Sailor; Lomax, Whitby; Walmsley, Clark, Klemmer, Sironen, Whitley, Shorrocks. Interchanges: Wright, Delaney, Davies, Shorrocks.

Referee: Jack Smith

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-04 21:16:10 UTC