Stunning Leeds try ends Hull KR winning streak

Leeds Rhinos' Kallum Watkins runs into a two-man tackle from Hull KR's Sauaso Sue and Tyrone MayImage source, SWPix.com
Image caption,

Leeds Rhinos' Kallum Watkins runs into a two-man tackle from Hull KR's Sauaso Sue and Tyrone May

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (8) 8

Try: Martin Goals: Mourgue (2)

Leeds (0) 14

Tries: Lisone, Miller Goals: Connor (3)

Leeds Rhinos came from behind to stun Super League leaders Hull KR with a sensational winning try from Lachie Miller.

The Australian full-back finished a brilliant passing move which he had begun deep in his own half to cap a marvellous second-half display and send Rhinos back into third place.

Leeds' win ends the Robins' 11-match winning streak in all competitions and opens up the chase for the League Leaders' Shield after second-placed Wigan Warriors lost on Friday.

Willie Peters' side seemed to be heading for yet another victory as they dominated the first half and opened up an 8-0 lead through Rhyse Martin's try and Arthur Mourgue's conversion and penalty.

Leeds stepped up a gear after the break, however, with Sam Lisone powering over, Jake Connor levelling with the boot and then Miller finishing a stylish move to make it seven wins from their past eight games for Brad Arthur's side.

To add to Rovers' woes, they face an Rugby Football League disciplinary panel investigation after Harry Newman levelled an eye-gouging accusation, seemingly against Michael McIlorum.

Leeds' win also ended a sequence of six-straight defeats by Rovers stretching back to 2022, as the competition's two in-form teams went head-to-head at Sewell Group Craven Park.

Both teams sprinted out of the blocks, Ryan Hall's superb cover tackle forcing a forward pass from Mourgue as the Robins had a three-on-one attack, and then Alfie Edgell being tackled inches short as Leeds hit back.

The Robins scored first after 11 minutes after Connor's forward pass had given them an attacking platform. Martin, a Rhinos player for five years before joining Rovers this season, side-stepped past Connor to go over and open the scoring.

A successful captain's challenge to an apparent Mikey Lewis knock-on saw Harry Newman penalised for a high tackle and Mourgue extended the lead to eight points at half-time.

That incident proved costly for the Robins, however, as reigning Man of Steel Lewis failed the subsequent head injury assessment and failed to reappear.

With no yellow or red card shown, it also meant Peters' side could not activate their 18th man.

The Robins then blew two clear try-scoring chances as Mourgue's pass to set up a lovely diving finish from Tom Davies was inexplicably forward, and then Kelepi Tanginoa came up with an even more unnecessary forward pass on the other flank as Joe Burgess was poised to score.

Leeds took full advantage of those basic errors by moving up a gear in the second half, piling pressure on a Rovers defence which has been central to their success this season.

The home side's discipline wobbled badly as Leeds forced the pace, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves being penalised for a high tackle and Leeds making use of the territory gained as Cameron Smith sent Lisone powering over the line and Connor kicked the extras.

The New Zealand prop was at fault again five minutes later, penalised for dissent with Rovers in possession in front of their own posts, with Connor slotting over the kick to level the scores.

Leeds were suddenly bristling with confidence and the Robins, without Lewis pulling the strings, looked fragile for the first time in weeks.

Leeds exposed that with a magnificent try. Miller fed Edgell, whose turn of pace created a gap and with Ash Handley, Connor and Miller streaming down the flank, swapping passes, it fell to Miller to touch down and give Connor a straightforward conversion.

Leeds 'had to very, very good' - reaction

Hull KR coach Willie Peters told BBC Radio Humberside:

"We had a lot of opportunities in the first half and if we had executed a couple of those tries the score at half-time could have been a little bit more. I was happy with our first half apart from that execution.

"That hurt us, and we came out a little bit slow in the second half. They won a lot of field position, got on top and we obviously had some ill discipline and they came over the top of us at the back end.

"You might only get one or two opportunities in big games but we had three there to put ourselves in a stronger position.

"We fought our way back and then gave a penalty away with the ball and they have two points. There are some more bits and pieces among that, but that was the main one."

Leeds head coach Brad Arthur told BBC Radio Leeds:

"I saw the belief in them during the week, the way we trained in a good long turnaround, and sensed an expectation that they were coming here to win.

"Even at half-time we were 8-0 down but we weren't bad. I thought we were very good in the first half, but they were very, very good. I said that to beat them we had to be very, very good in the second half, and we were.

"Credit to both sides - the footy was hand to hand and there weren't a lot of errors.

"Last time we played them we had them with 10 minutes to go, a game we should have won, but we lacked a little bit of composure in the last 10 minutes and they came up with some big plays. We learnt from it and went after it tonight."

On winning try: "I've talked about backing each other and being brave to go after the game. It's not always going to go your way but when it doesn't you have to be brave and strong and tough and find effort."

Hull KR: Mourgue; Davies, Hiku, Broadbent, Burgess; Lewis, May; Sue, McIlorum, Hadley, Whitbread, Martin, Minchella.

Interchanges: Litten, Waerea-Hargreaves, Luckley, Tanginoa.

Leeds: Miller; Edgell, Handley, Newman, Hall; Croft, Connor; Oledzki, O'Connor, Jenkins, Watkins, McDonnell, Palasia.

Interchanges: Lisone, Holroyd, Bentley, Smith

Referee: Chris Kendall.