Super League: Leeds 18-10 Catalans - Ash Handley double helps Rhinos beat Dragons

Leeds Rhinos made it two home Super League wins out of two as they narrowly beat Catalans Dragons at Headingley.

Ash Handley opened the scoring on four minutes and Harry Newman also crossed to help Rhinos lead 10-2 at the break.

Chris Satae got one back for the visitors, converted by Arthur Mourgue, whose second penalty tied it at 10-10.

But Handley's second try, improved by Rhyse Martin, who also kicked his third goal from his second penalty, helped the hosts ease home against 12 men.

Romain Navarette's 74th-minute sin-binning was the fourth yellow card of the afternoon - and third for the Dragons.

Tariq Sims was the first to 'take 10 minutes' before the break, Leeds' French prop Justin Sangare followed early in the second half - and it was then briefly back to equal numbers again when Jordan Dezaria became the third visiting forward to get an unexpected breather.

Ash Handley has scored five tries in Leeds' opening three Super League games

Catalans' unbeaten start to the season was already wobbling when Handley capitalised on the Rhinos' first real attack midway through the first half, when Brodie Croft's superb kick allowed him to beat off Fouad Yaha to open the scoring in the left corner.

Croft was the architect again when Leeds doubled their lead, as his kick sent former Catalans man Mickael Goudemand through a gap that allowed Newman to twist over in the other corner.

Martin missed his second touchline conversion but Sims' foul in the act of Newman scoring earned him his yellow card and the added gift of a penalty in front of the posts.

After Mourgue kicked Catalans' first points shortly before the interval, Tongan forward Satae then crashed over on the last tackle six minutes after the restart - his first try since .

Chris Satae (centre) scored his first try for Catalans Dragons

And, after Mourgue's conversion, it was all square on 54 minutes when Sangare was harshly sin-binned for high contact on Alrix Da Costa and the French full-back landed his goal from in front of the posts.

After Dezaria was binned for illegal contact on dangerman Croft, the Dragons were then made to pay when Leeds went back in front on 65 minutes after Handley latched on to a looping pass from Cameron Smith to score his fifth try in three games.

Martin converted and then, after Navarette's interference earned him the game's fourth yellow card, added a late penalty to guarantee victory.

Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith:

"There was a lot of grit, team work and resilience that went into that first 20 or 30 minutes of defending. I loved the bravery of our players.

"It wasn't without blemish or playing a bit over the top, but so much defence and teamwork went into that. We looked calm and composed.

"Brodie Croft came with all the fanfare and stuff about attack and big plays, but he is also a great competitor. He had some nice attacking plays, but his competitiveness is outstanding."

Catalans Dragons coach Steve McNamara:

"It's difficult for everybody concerned right now - players and referees included. I don't think there was anything too bad in those yellow cards. They are yellows but nothing more.

"It felt like we dominated field position and dominated most of that first half, but then we conceded back-to-back tries and we were suddenly 10 points down.

"The response at the start of the second half was superb, we came out and played with some real tempo and looked dangerous. We set up the platform to go on and win the game but our lack of discipline didn't allow us to do that."

Leeds: Miller; Roberts, Newman, Momirovski, Handley; Croft, Frawley; Sangare, Ackers, Goudemand, Bentley, Martin, C Smith.

Interchanges: Holroyd, O'Connor, McDonnell, Ruan.

Sin-bin: Sangare (53).

Catalans Dragons: Mourgue; Johnstone, Romano, Ikuvalu, Yaha; Abdull, Fages; Navarrete, Da Costa, McMeeken, Sims, Sironen, Garcia.

Interchanges: Bousquet, Nikorima, Satae, Dezaria.

Sin-bin: Sims (30), Dezaria (59), Navarette (74).

Referee: Chris Kendall.