Super League: Leeds Rhinos 36-0 Warrington Wolves

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Jack Walker try for LeedsImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Jack Walker was forced off with a foot injury soon after his opening try for Leeds

Betfred Super League

Leeds Rhinos (14) 36

Tries: Walker, Myler, Dwyer, Hurrell, Seumanufagai, Handley Goals: Martin 6

Warrington Wolves 0

Leeds Rhinos ran riot with six tries to thrash a listless Warrington side who were kept scoreless at Headingley.

Jack Walker's third try in as many games, two Rhyse Martin penalties and a Richie Myler score put the dominant hosts 14-0 up at the break.

Brad Dwyer finished a scrappy third try for Leeds before Konrad Hurrell crashed over in the corner.

Two tries in two minutes from Ava Seumanufagai and Ash Handley competed the victory to lift Leeds to second.

After starting the season with a heavy 30-4 defeat by Hull at Emerald Headingley, the Rhinos have gone on to win three successive Super League matches and scored 88 points at home along the way after beating Hull KR 52-10 a fortnight earlier.

Warrington, who have failed to win away from home since last July, remain seventh in the table after suffering their third defeat in five games this term.

The visitors had the first chance of the game, but Toby King was held up after doing well to collect Blake Austin's high kick.

Brilliant footwork from Walker, stepping inside an attempted tackle from Warrington debutant Keanan Brand to bamboozle the entire Wolves defence in the process saw the full-back scamper free for Leeds' opening try after just six minutes.

His night, however, was cut short soon after, having appeared to awkwardly twist his ankle in a tackle.

Martin, who added the extras following Martin's try, kicked the hosts to a 10-point lead before the half-hour mark with two penalties.

Wolves laboured to create any meaningful threat in response, with Dwyer's efforts to force Tom Lineham into touch midway through the half exemplifying both their fierce defensive efforts and Wolves' miserable night in Yorkshire.

Leeds pushed for another four-pointer before the interval, with Hurrell testing Warrington's resistance before Cameron Smith was held up over the line and Myler - who came off the bench to replace Walker in the unfamiliar full-back position - grabbed the hosts' second score.

A kick from Harry Newman which ricocheted loose before landing in the hands of Dwyer allowed the former Wolves hooker to add a deserved third, although it took heavy scrutiny from the television match official before it was awarded.

Wolves then had Ben Murdoch-Masila sin-binned for a high hit on Alex Mellor, and Leeds capitalised in devastating fashion with tries from Hurrell, Seumanufagai and Handley all coming while the visitors were a man down.

Leeds Rhinos coach Richard Agar:

"We played well. Right from the word go we showed terrific intent with the football.

"But to keep a team with so many star players try-less is a wonderful effort.

"We think our defence has been a little bit off but I thought we handled them really well."

Warrington Wolves coach Steve Price:

"It wasn't pretty was it? It's a performance we're certainly not happy with. We got beat in every department, in the basics of rugby league.

"We started not too bad, when we got held up over the line, but they were far superior with their pressure and the ruck speed was way too fast.

"One thing I do know is we've got a good football team in there - three weeks ago we dished up a great performance against St Helens - and I'm confident we can turn it around.

"We're not sugar-coating the performance, it's not good enough. We have a duty to our fans and our town to have a hard look at ourselves."

Leeds Rhinos: Walker; Handley, Hurrell, Newman, L Briscoe; Gale, Lui; Seumanufagai, Dwyer, Oledzki, Mellor, Martin, Prior.

Interchanges: Myler, Smith, Donaldson, Cuthbertson.

Warrington Wolves: Ratchford; Lineham, Brand, King, Charnley; Austin, Widdop; Hill, D Clark, Cooper, Currie, Murdoch-Masila, J Clark.

Interchanges: Philbin, Davis, Johnson, Burrell.

Referee: Robert Hicks.

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