Super League: Leeds Rhinos 32-22 Catalans Dragons - Les Dracs' five-game winning run ended

Jarrod O'Connor scored the second of Leeds' five second-half tries

Leeds Rhinos spectacularly ended Catalans Dragons' 100% start to the Super League season as they ran in seven tries at Headingley.

After trailing 22-8 at half-time, the Rhinos crossed the Dragons line five times after the break, the first two of them when they were down to 12 men.

Rhyse Martin had a bad day with the boot, missing his first five kicks.

But home centre Harry Newman led the way, atoning for his early second-half yellow card by crossing twice.

And he was aided by tries from Martin, Catalans old boy Richie Myler, Jarrod O'Connor, Derrell Olpherts and Tom Holroyd as the visitors' defeat left Warrington, victors over Castleford on Friday, out on their own on top.

In contrast to Catalans' five-game winning start to the campaign, Leeds had won only two of their first five games - but that included beating champions St Helens and nilling Wakefield in their last home game.

They quickly showed that they would again be a real threat in this match when, after former Wigan wing Tom Davies dived in to score at the right corner, improved from the touchline by Adam Keighran's curling left foot conversion, Leeds responded to that early Catalans score with two quickfire tries.

Newman went in at the right corner before Martin kicked a loose ball through wide on the left and won the chase to ground the ball first. But he failed with both touchline conversions and when the Rhinos had a Nene MacDonald try denied on review for having a foot in touch, it was the Dragons who went back in front with two tries in quick succession for Keighran and fellow Australian Mitchell Pearce.

After Zane Tatevano had another Leeds try chalked off for a forward pass, Catalans were over again for their fourth try just before half-time when Leeds dangerously tried to offload close to their own line and Paul Seguier pounced on the loose ball to score.

Catalans winger Tom Davies spectacularly scored the opening try for his second in as many matches

With a 14-point deficit at half-time, it looked set to get even worse for Leeds when they were reduced to to 12 men for 10 minutes - Newman yellow-carded for indiscipline.

But it proved the turning point as Myler ghosted through to score, before young O'Connor bustled his way over from dummy half.

Martin missed both conversions, hitting the post with the second of them before he failed again with goal attempt number five. But that try came from Martin's own opportunistic steal to allow the influential Blake Austin to break down the left for Olpherts to cut inside and score.

Despite outscoring the visitors four tries it left Leeds still trailing, but not for long after Austin's 40/20 set up Holroyd to find a gap on 67 minutes and put his side back in front for the second and final time.

A change of kicker to Aidan Sezer finally brought its reward to earn a four-point cushion. But, when Myler then went half the length of the field to thrillingly set up Newman's match-clinching second try, Martin was given one more chance to kick for goal and this time he nailed it.

Who's next?

Leeds are back in action at Hull KR on Friday, while Catalans will hope to get back on course next Saturday at home to struggling Castleford.

But second-placed Catalans, already without England captain Sam Tomkins, are now facing a mounting injury crisis.

Half-back Tyrone May suffered a serious-looking ankle injury that left him in a protective boot, while Ben Garcia and Mickael Goudemand sustained head injuries.

Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith:

"When we went down to 12 men we actually played better, so that was a good sign. You don't know how that kind of period is necessarily going to pan out, but sometimes in sport people show more when their back is against the wall. That's when you find out about them.

"The talent is there for Harry Newman. The challenge is to find his all-round game week in, week out. He's got all the tools. It's about application.

"Every player needs to learn how to manage their emotions. That's a critical part of being at high-level performance. It's not just talent, it's the management of emotions that gives the talent a chance."

Catalans head coach Steve McNamara:

"We were clearly the second best team in the second half. I could tell from the first tackle of the second half that we had lost momentum, and it snowballed from there.

"Our attacking was really poor, we lost speed in the ruck, and Leeds were a lot more direct and put us on the back foot. The game became too quick for us and Leeds did a good job at exposing it.

"Teams go through that. It's part and parcel of the game. In previous weeks we've had things go our way. That's sport. We've got to roll with it and the important thing is that response next week."

Leeds: Myler; Fusitu'a, Newman, Martin, Macdonald; Austin, Sezer; Holroyd, O'Connor, Walters, McDonnell, Tetevano, C Smith.

Interchanges: Johnson, Sangare, Lisone, Olpherts, Donaldson.

Sin-bin: Newman (44)

Catalans Dragons: Mourgue; Davies, Keighran, Romano, Johnstone; May, Pearce; Garcia, Ma'u, Whitley, Bousquet, McIlorum, McMeeken.

Interchanges: Da Costa, Goudemand, Seguier, Dezaria, Chan.

Referee: Liam Moore.

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