A-Z of Leeds Rhinos - ‘V’ is for...Video referee

The most important was in the 2009 Grand Final when man in the middle Steve Ganson asked Phil Bentham to check a touchdown by Lee Smith from Danny McGuire’s kick.

Saints were convinced Smith had been slightly ahead of the kicker, but Bentham gave the green light, Kevin Sinfield landed the conversion and Rhinos went on to win 18-10.

Three years later, Rhinos looked to have taken the lead at Wembley against Warrington Wolves when Kylie Leuluai forced the ball loose from Brett Hodgson and Brett Delaney picked up to dash over.

Richard Silverwood handed the decision on to Bentham and, after an agonising delay, he disallowed the try for a knock-on by Leuluai, but awarded a scrum to Leeds for the earlier fumble by Hodgson.

Warrington survived and won the Challenge Cup final 35-18.

‘V’ is also for...Vic Hey. The Australian stand-off joined Leeds in 1937 for a record £1,400 signing on fee and was the first transfer from the southern to northern hemisphere negotiated by telephone rather than telegram.

Regarded as the golden boy of the Australian Test side, his move to England led to a brief international transfer ban.

On Christmas Eve, 1938, Hey became the first - and so far only - player to score a try on Headingley’s cricket ground, in a 5-0 win over Salford.

The game was switched to the other side of the stadium complex because the rugby field was unplayable due to frost.

Hey scored 73 tries in 145 appearances for Leeds and was the first player to captain two Challenge Cup winning sides, in 1941 and 1942.

Hey also played for Dewsbury and Hunslet and later coached Parramatta, Canterbury-Bankstown, Western Suburbs and Australia.

‘V’ is also for...V sign. Sam Tomkins was handed a £1,000 suspended fine for flicking two fingers at Rhinos fans during Wigan Warriors’ 28-18 victory in the 2011 Challenge Cup final.

'V' is also for...Vegan. Then-Rhinos forward Anthony Mullally made international headlines when The Yorkshire Evening Post revealed the 6ft 4in, 17st 6lb giant was Super League's only vegan player. In 2018 he opened a vegan cafe close to the Headingley ground.

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