Peter Smith's Leeds Rhinos player ratings: 4s and 7s from disastrous 30-24 loss to Huddersfield Giants

Rhinos played okay with the ball at times, but the second half was a defensive catastrophe. Twice in the game they threw away a 12-point advantage and the manner in which Giants took the lead was ridiculous. In a madcap final 40 the score went from 12-2 to 12-12, then 24-12, then 24-24. Three missed conversion attempts by Jake Connor prevented Giants going ahead, but - with five minutes left – Rhinos full-back Lachie Miller tried a short restart after being dragged back in goal, it didn’t go 10 and the penalty kick edged Huddersfield in front.

A couple of minutes later, Leeds were attacking in Huddersfield’s half when a pass from Cameron Smith was knocked down by Kevin Naiqama and Adam Clune picked up to race 70 metres and seal it. It looked liked a knock-on, but - surprisingly for such a key moment - referee Chris Kendall awarded the try without handing the decision on to his video assistant Marcus Griffiths.

To rub salt into the wound, Miller was sin-binned, presumably for dissent, as the hooter sounded. A couple of big calls went Giants’ way, but Leeds’ defeat was self-inflicted. They played well for 40 minutes; tries from Paul Momirovki and David Fusitu’a, both converted by Rhyse Martin, gave them a 12-0 lead and only some ill-discipline in the final seconds allowed Giants to get on the scoreboard before the break.

There was a shade of fortune about the first try, a pass by Justin Sangare touching a defender before being picked up by Martin, who supplied Momirovski. It was a classy finish by the centre who cut inside to score. Miller began that set by collecting a kick on Leeds’ line and a terrific run got them on the front foot.

The Fusitu’a try, in his first game of the season, came against 12 men after Giants’ Luke Yates was sin-binned for a foul on Luis Roberts. Martin made a lovely break, then Brodie Croft grubbered over the line for the winger to touch down.

Giants pulled two points back after the hooter, James McDonnell being penalised twice in the same set, the second for a high shot on Connor who took the two. The second half was a horror show, not helped by the loss of Harry Newman and Fusitu’a to injuiry which meant Leeds had two second-rows, Martin and McDonnell, in the centres.

Poor defence allowed Esan Marsters to go over on the last tackle and, direct from the restart, Adam Swift raced almost the length of the field. He was pulled down just short, but Giants’ other winger Eliot Wallis scored on the next play. Connor converted the first and hit a post with his second attempt.

Incredibly, Oliver Wilson knocked on from the restart after Wallis’ try and Miller sent Momirovski over in the next set; then Jarrod O’Connor ran a superb line on to a pass from Matt Frawley. Martin improved both tries and Rhinos led by 12 again and it was theirs to lose - which they did in spectacular style.

The madness continued as Swift went blind from acting-half to get Giants back in it with an unconverted try from acting-half on 64 minutes; Harvey Livett went over moments later and then Naiqama crossed with nine minutes left. Connor missed all three conversion attempts to leave it at 24-24 and Miller seemed to have been dragged back in goal after a tackle was completed, but the dropout was given and that effectively handed Giants the game.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Fusitu’a, Newman, Momirovski, Roberts, Croft, Frawley, Oledzki, Ackers, Sangbare, McDonnell, Martin, Smith. Subs Lisone, Nicholson-Watton, O’Connor, Goudemand.

Huddersfield Giants: Connor, Swift, Marsters, Naiqama, Wallis, Lolohea, Clune, English, Milner, Greenwood, Livett, Cudjoe, Yates. Subs Golding, Rushton, Ikahihifo, Russell.

Referee: Chris Kendall (Huddersfield). Attendance: 13,128.