Kids impress as Leeds Rhinos fight back for 41-22 win over Wakefield Trinity in Festive Challenge

In the first half Leeds looked like they hadn’t touched a ball since September and an impressively fluent Wakefield team outplayed them. After the break, aided by some youthful enthusiasm and having cut out the needless penalties, Rhinos began to play and scored some good tries.

Of Leeds’ newcomers, Lachie Miller had a disastrous first half and much better third quarter before going off; Matt Frawley and Andy Ackers also made an impact after the break and Mickael Goudemand powered over for a late try.

In front of a crowd of 9,565, Leeds’ best players were their youngsters: Jack Sinfield had an excellent second-half and landed six conversions from seven attempts plus a smart drop goal; try scorer Luis Roberts was strong and there were good signs from his fellow centre Jack Smith, substitute prop Tom Nicholson-Watton and rookie stand-off Fergus McCormack, in particular.

Changes took their toll on Wakefield in the second half, but the first 40 will give their coach Daryl Powell huge encouragement. Trinity’s first try followed an error by Lachie Miller and their second and third resulted from Leeds making a mess of first a short drop out and then when they tried a similar tactic from the next kick-off. When they kicked deep to restart after Trinity had gone 16-0 up it brought the only cheer of the first 33 minutes from the South Stand.

Romain Franco dived over from Myles Lawford’s kick for the opener and nice handling led to a try for Matty Ashurst before Miller’s restart was batted back, Justin Sangare couldn’t take it and Max Jowitt galloped over from half-way, the full-back also landing his second conversion.

Knock-ons by Renouf Atoni and Lachlan Walmsley prevented Trinity going further ahead and Rhinos pulled a try back when Roberts touched down from clever kick by Miller. However, on the final play of the half, Miller’s pass was intercepted by Walmsley and he raced the length of the field for a try which he also converted.

Two minutes into the second half, Jack Smith intercepted by pass by Liam Hood to score and the next time Trinity touched the ball, on 48, the scores were level and Leeds had grabbed the initiative. Ackers broke the line to send Cameron Smith in and then Derrell Olphers came up with a good finish after a long-range move involving Ackers, Frawley and Miller.

Leeds went ahead after 55 minutes when Olpherts dived in for his second off a Frawley-Miller combination. Sinfield showed great game-awareness to land a drop goal with 10 left and Rhinos finished strongly as Goudemand crashed over and then terrific footwork from Sinfield created a deserved try for Nicholson-Watton.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Olpherts, J Smith, Roberts, Handley, J Sinfield, Frawley, Goudemand, Ackers, Sangare, Gannon, McDonnell, C Smith. Subs O’Connor, Edgell, Johnson, Lisone, Littlewood, F McCormack, N McCormack, Lumb, Nicholson-Watton.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Franco, Thornely, Pratt, Walmsley, Hood, Lawford, Bowden, Doyle, Atoniu, Ashurst, Griffin, Cozza, Subs Uele, Law, Croft, Boothroyd, H Smith, D Sinfield, Stsaveley-Carr, Delaney.

Referee: Tom Grant (Leeds). Attendance: 9,565.