Two sides having disappointing seasons got round nineteen underway on Thursday night as the Leeds Rhinos travelled the short distance don the M62 to take on the Huddersfield Giants as ninth hosted seventh with play-off places now close to disappearing out of sight for both outfits.
The Giants had won the last two meetings between the two sides, including their 30-24 win earlier this season at Headingley and the Rhinos had not taken the points away from the John Smith’s stadium for almost five years, their last win there in August 2019.
The Rhinos had been made favourites with the bookies before the first ball was kicked, the home side with a four-point start on the coupon but it was an essential game for both sides.
Leeds tackled the Giants dead in goal from the kick off and received a goal line drop out. On the last tackle of the resulting set a Matt Frawley cross field kick was collected by a leaping Ash Handley who stepped over the line and grounded. Rhyse Martin turned four into six for a great Leeds start.
The Giants struck back on ten minutes when Lachlan Miller failed to clear a cross-field kick on the Leeds goal line with Aidan McGowan getting a hand on the loose ball to score in the corner. Jake Connor converted in off the far post to level the scores.
Leroy Cudjoe and Rhyse Martin exchanged slaps on fourteen minutes and received a telling off from referee Griffiths. A handling error from the Giants put the Rhinos on the front foot and after two repeat sets of six James McDonnell shrugged off a tackle and crawled over the line to ground but the video referee ruled a double movement.
Whilst the Rhinos were having the best of the possession and field position, they were still making the errors which have dogged their season so far, but the Giants were also failing to capitalise on those errors. Elliott Wallace failed to get the ball onto the ground on the half hour mark as he looked to have gone over on the corner.
On thirty-three Jake Connor dropped a Frawley high kick, the ball picked up by a loitering Harry Newman for a walk over try from five metres, the referee pointing to the spot. Martin added the conversion for 12-6.
Three minutes later the Rhinos were in again Frawley taking an inside pass from Miller after a Sam Lisone barnstorming run. Martin was on target again and Leeds had a healthy lead. Sam Lisone was put on report for leading with the elbow, the video replay showing he was lucky not to be carded.
It was a late first half double whammy from the Rhinos as they took a twelve-point lead into the break.
Leeds started the second half as they had ended the first, Cam Smith held up over the line on forty-six as they looked for their fourth try. Further boosted by the long-awaited return of James Bentley from injury Leeds went close again on fifty but Alfie Edgell couldn’t take the final pass to score in the corner.
Brilliant Leeds defence prevented a Jake Bibby try on fifty-five as they held him short of the line when he looked certain to score and three minutes later some sensational keeping the ball alive on the last tackle saw Handley score his second of the night with a miraculous one-handed grounding in the left corner, given by the video referee after intense scrutiny. Martin was unable to add the extra two from the touchline.
The game was won on sixty-six when Brodie Croft capitalised on a Bibby knock on as he stepped off both feet to dive over the line. Martin was on target with the conversion for 28-6, the Rhinos home and hosed.
Lachlan Miller grabbed a walk in try on seventy-four after taking a Frawley pass as tempers and frustrations boiled over in the Giants in-goal area. Martin added the conversion for 34-6 with Sam Lisone and Adam Milner both being sin-binned for their part in the post-try fracas, the sides ending the game with twelve a side.
The Rhinos ground out a win, but it was clearly a game between two mid-table sides with little to play for in a disappointing season. Leeds made fewer mistakes that the home side and were able to capitalise when the opportunities presented themselves. Leeds undoubtedly defended the better of the two sides and they move two points closer to the sides in the top six with next Saturday’s game against the Salford Red Devils now looking like a crucial game for both sides. The Giants season is realistically over as they look to find a new coach a rebuild their playing staff for 2025.
Huddersfield Giants: Connor (1/1 G), Wallis, Halsall, Naiqama, McGowan (T), Lolohea, Clune, Hill, Milner (SB on 75), English, Bibby, Cudjoe, Rushton. Subs: Golding, Russell, Rogers, Salabio. 18th Man: Bibby.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller (T), Handley (2T), Newman (T), Momirovski, Edgell, Croft (T), Frawley (T), Oledzki, Ackers, Eseh, McDonnell, Martin (5/6 G), Smith. Subs: Bentley, O’Connor, Lisone (SB on 75), Donaldson. 18th Man: Sinfield.
Half-Time: 6-18.
Full-Time: 6-34.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 6-10, 6-12, 6-16, 6-18 : HT: 6-22, 6-26, 6-28, 6-32, 6-34, (SB), (SB) :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leeds – Square – Leeds.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
