Super League: Leeds 14-8 Castleford - Rhinos stun Tigers with late tries to reach play-offs
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Aidan Sezer's matchwinning try was Leeds' second in five minutes
Betfred Super League |
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Leeds (0) 14 |
Tries: Leeming, Sezer Goals: Martin 3 |
Castleford (0) 8 |
Try: Mamo Goals: McShane 2 |
Leeds Rhinos produced an amazing late turnaround as they stunned Castleford Tigers with two late tries to reach the Super League play-offs.
Trailing 8-0 with time fast running out, Leeds looked about to be overtaken for the final play-off place by Cas.
But, after Rhyse Martin's penalty, Zak Hardaker's pace outflanked his old club to set up Kruise Leeming to score.
Martin's kick tied the scores but there was no need for a 'golden point' finale as Aidan Sezer went over again.
Martin added the extras to that one too - his 36th consecutive successful kick at goal to equal the Super League record held by Wakefield's Mason Lino.
It meant Jake Mamo's early second-half try and two Paul McShane goals ended up proving in vain for Lee Radford's Cas, who finish seventh, while victory lifted Leeds to fifth, thanks to Salford's home defeat by 11th-placed Warrington, which dropped the Red Devils to sixth.
Leeds now face a third trip to Perpignan in under two month to face Catalans Dragons on Friday - although they will without Ash Handley, who picked up an ankle injury -before Huddersfield host Salford in the second play-off eliminator the following day.
Fifth breeds success for Leeds
Leeds now face a tough away trip with a visit to the south of France - but going there after finishing fifth under Rohan Smith they will be full of confidence.
Of Leeds' record eight Grand Finals triumphs, only three have come after actually topping the league - and two of them, in 2011 and 2012, came after finishing fifth under Brian McDermott.
Leeds were 10th in the table when Smith's predecessor Richard Agar quit in March but, after having the ship steadied under caretaker boss Jamie Jones-Buchanan, since Smith took charge on 20 April, Rhinos seem to have recaptured some of the spirit of the McDermott era.
They have now won 12 times in 18 games - of which the last seven victories have come in eight.
Yet, even in the McDermott years, Leeds rarely left it as late as this.
Cas, who began the day just a place and a point behind Leeds, had won on their previous two visits to Headingley and after an exciting but error-strewn first half enlivened only by Suaia Matagi's yellow card for a late shot on Matt Prior, it took until well into the second half to break the deadlock.
Jake Mamo's 55th-minute try looked to have set Castleford on their way at Headingley
No sooner had McShane fired Cas ahead from the tee, they quickly stretched their lead when Dan Smith and Joe Westerman combined to find Mamo, who outpaced Richie Myler to finish, McShane kicking the goal for an 8-0 lead.
But, knowing a draw would be enough to see his side into the play-offs, coach Rohan Smith sent on a message to kick for goal when they were awarded a penalty while still 8-0 behind.
Leeds crucially got two points back from Martin's boot and, with time ticking away, Myler began the move that led to them tying the scores.
His long pass to Hardaker freed the Cas old boy to cut inside, beat three men and break clear before passing inside for Leeming to score to the left of the posts.
Martin's boot levelled it - to set up a likely period of golden-point extra time, which Cas knew they had to win to extend their season. But Myler was then involved again in the move that led to Sezer bringing the house down with the victory-sealing try.
Leeds coach Rohan Smith:
"We were struggling to get one score so to take an easy two points made sense to me.
"That's the goal everyone sets out at the start of pre-season training, the minimum to be in the play-offs, so to be there is a good result.
"There are a lot of parts of our sport that are about being tough and brave and hanging in there and pushing through adversity and fatigue and for most of that game we did that really well.
"We lacked any fluency again. Skills got us a couple of tries but the character held us in there. I was very frustrated, which I don't generally get, but I said to our analyst after the penalty goal that we will still score two tries because our energy was good."
Castleford coach Lee Radford:
"It was an unbelievable effort and commitment to each other. Although we didn't achieve our season goal, with all that's been thrown at us and the challenges that we've overcome, I'm incredibly proud.
"Nobody likes losing but, when you've given everything and there's nothing left, you can sometimes accept that.
"It was a poor quality game in terms of execution but it was exciting. Unfortunately, we just ran out of gas."
Leeds: Myler; Briscoe, Hardaker, Sutcliffe, Handley; Austin, Sezer; Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Bentley, Martin, Tetevano.
Interchanges: Dwyer, O'Connor, Smith, Gannon.
Castleford: Mamo; Faraimo, Sutcliffe, Fonua, Olpherts; Eden, McShane; Matagi, Milner, Griffin, Lawler, Mellor, Westerman.
Interchanges: Smith, Hall, Martin, Robb.
Sin-bin: Matagi
Referee: Ben Thaler.
Play-off eliminators
Friday 9 September
Catalans Dragons v Leeds Rhinos (Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan, 20:00 BST)
Saturday 10 September
Huddersfield Giants v Salford Red Devils (John Smiths Stadium,13:00 BST)
Play-off semi-finals
Friday 16 September
Wigan Warriors v highest ranked eliminator winner, DW Stadium (20:00 BST)
Saturday 17 September
St Helens v lowest ranked eliminator winner (Totally Wicked Stadium (13:00 BST)
Grand Final
Saturday 24 September
Old Trafford (18:00 BST)