Leuluai grabbed Rhinos' final four-pointer in the Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to St Helens and scored both touchdowns in this latest engage Super League 22-12 reverse at Warrington Wolves.

All three came from about five metres out, which illustrates the lack of invention Rhinos are showing on attack.

To be fair, centre Keith Senior did have two touchdowns disallowed at HJ Stadium – one for a double movement and the second due to a forward pass from Rob Burrow – but Leeds created little in the way of structured rugby.

Rhinos were well-drilled and ruthlessly effective in the first half of this season, but against Warrington they looked like an ordinary team, lacking direction and ideas on attack, while their kicking game didn't pose any threat.

They haven't suddenly become bad players over the last couple of months, but injuries and a packed fixture list have taken their toll and they showed signs of fatigue from the previous weekend's draining Cup clash.

Leeds are still making occasional breaks, but are failing to capitalise – as illustrated when Ali Lauitiiti found a gap with players backing up, but his loose pass was collected by a defender - and though the effort is there, confidence seems to be lacking.

The champions led 6-4 at half-time, thanks to a tremendous defensive effort, but collapsed in the third quarter, when Warrington scored three tries, all of which could and should have been prevented.

Warrington's final tackle options were far superior, Lee Briers and Michael Monaghan controlled things at half-back and in skipper Adrian Morley – a former Rhinos player – they had the contest's outstanding individual.

The opening few moments after half-time summed up Leeds' night.

They forced successive scrums near the Wolves line, but Danny McGuire's pass went to ground – when Leeds had an overlap – on the first tackle from the second of them.

On the final play of Warrington's subsequent set, Morley rampaged past Kevin Sinfield and Carl Ablett before sending the supporting Jon Clarke between the posts.

Instead of leading 12-4, Leeds found themselves 10-6 down and from then on, they were never in the game.

Warrington's fifth and final try was a similar story, as impressive substitute Lee Mitchell blasted over from half-way, going past Ablett and Sinfield, through Jordan Tansey and holding off Lee Smith, after a Rhinos attack floundered in a mix-up between Senior and Ben Jones-Bishop.

Between those touchdowns, Chris Hicks crossed twice, on either flank.

The first came following a scrum after a supposed knock-on by Smith as he tried to play the ball, when in fact Paul Rauhihi should have been penalised for interference.


Hicks finished off good passing by Clarke, Briers, Monaghan and Matt King; then crossed again after Briers and Martin Gleeson had combined following a Kevin Penny break from near Warrington's line.

Leeds must have fancied their chances at the interval after defying an adverse 6-1 penalty count.

Bizarrely, the four penalties in the second half all went Leeds' way, after Warrington had built a winning lead.

With Brent Webb, Ryan Hall, Clinton Toopi, Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Ryan Bailey all out injured and top try scorer Scott Donald also missing, Rhinos were under-strength, but their 17 should still have been good enough to win the game.

As it was, the 10-point margin flattered Leeds. Hicks added the extras to Clarke's try, but missed with his four other conversion attempts and an early penalty, making the scoreline look more competitive than the game as a whole actually was.

All the first half's scoring came in the final eight minutes.

Leeds broke the deadlock on 32 when Leuluai stretched over after good work by Matt Diskin and Sinfield, who added the conversion.

But, crucially, on the final play before the break, Monaghan sent Mitchell into space and he supplied Hicks, who put Matt King over at the corner. Rhinos' other try came in the final couple of minutes, when Leuluai scored in similar fashion, this time from Diskin's pass, with Sinfield again adding the goal.

Donald's late withdrawal, on paternity leave, ended his remarkable ever-present record.

The Aussie winger had played every minute of every game since joining Rhinos from Manly before the start of the 2006 season, a total of 92 matches and 7,360 unbroken minutes of rugby.

Tansey, due to return from a shoulder injury in the reserves, was drafted straight in at full-back and there were recalls for Jones-Bishop and Eric Anselme.

Lauitiiti was placed on report in the first half after appearing to catch tackler Ben Westwood with an elbow.

WARRINGTON WOLVES: Hicks, Riley, Gleeson, King, Penny, Briers, Monaghan, Morley, Clarke, Rauhihi, L Anderson, Westwood, Grix. Subs: Mitchell, Parker, Cooper, Harrison.

LEEDS RHINOS: Tansey, Smith, Ablett, Senior, Jones-Bishop, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Diskin, Peacock, Ellis, Kirke, Sinfield. Subs: Scruton, Lauitiiti, Worrall, Anselme.

REFEREE: Steve Ganson (St Helens).