3s and 4s, nobody above 5 in Peter Smith's Leeds Rhinos player ratings from 61-0 Catalans Dragons rout

The latest disaster came a week after a 50-0 home thrashing by Wigan Warriors and was Rhinos’ heaviest margin of defeat in a Super League game.

It is the first time since 1991 Leeds have been nilled in successive games and even with a below-strength side, 111 points conceded and none scored in 160 minutes is an abject effort and the sort of statistic which causes heads to roll.

Fortunately, this abysmal season ends next week, but major surgery is needed if Leeds are going to compete for honours in 2024, or even avoid finishing in the bottom two.

Promoting talented youngsters from the academy grade won’t cut it, Rhinos need to sign better and more experienced players than they’ve got at the moment.

They were second-best in every department against Catalans and had only two real chances, Jack Sinfield’s touchdown being - dubiously - overturned on video evidence and Luke Hooley failing to hang on when put into a gap.

Catalans went ahead inside three minutes, through the first of Adam Keighran’s hat-trick and the writing was on the wall when Benjamin Garcia went over from close range, then Tom Davies crossed in the next set.

Tom Johnstone crossed before Sinfield had a touchdown, from his own kick, disallowed by video referee Marcus Griffiths, who somehow found clear evidence to overturn Ben Thaler’s original decision.

That was Rhinos’ only opportunity of the first half and Catalans extended their lead three minutes before the interval when Davies dived over, after Leon Ruan was penalised.

Leeds might have got points on the board at the start of the second half, but Hooley couldn’t gather a nice offload from Sam Lisone. MItchell Pearce went over moments later; Johstone scored his second following a knock-on by Rhyse Martin and Keighran crossed again.

Dragons hit 50 with 15 minutes left when Matt Ikavalu went over, following a penalty from an embarrassing dive by Sam Tomkins, in his final game against Leeds.

Tomkins landed a drop goal and Keighran completed his hat-trick – and added his ninth conversion – after Harry Newman was sin-binned for holding down Tomkins. Tomkins completed the scoring with a penalty following a yellow card for Lisone, who held back Pearce on the final play.

Catalans Dragons: Tomkins, Davies, Ikavalu, Keighran, Johnstone, May, Pearce, McMeeken, McIlorum, Navarette, Whitley, Seguier, Garcia. Subs Bousquet, Da Costa, Chan, Ma’u.

Leeds Rhinos: Hooley, Fusitu’a, Newman, Handley, Olpherts, Martin, Sinfield, Oledzki, O’Connor, Holroyd,McDonnell, Gannon, Smith. Subs Lisone, Johnson, Ruan, Donaldson.

Referee: Ben Thaler (Wakefield).