Kieran Hudson returns as Leeds Rhinos' kids make Hunslet work hard to retain Harry Jepson Memorial Trophy

Leeds haven’t won the annual pre-season clash since 2017 and Hunslet have dished out some hammerings in recent years, including 50-12 12 months ago, but this was a more even and entertaining contest. Rhinos fielded a largely academy team, boosted by a handful of reserves and a couple of players - Lewis Hollidge and Sam Webb-Campbell - from Halifax Panthers.

The only first team squad member was new signing Kieran Hudson, at prop. He had not played since rupturing an Achilles in pre-season last year, when he was a Castleford Tigers player, but got some valuable game time in two spells and made several strong carries, which will have encouraged watching head coach Rohan Smith.

Hunslet named 24 players, seven more than Rhinos and included a dozen who had played in last Sunday’s opening 1895 Cup tie against Featherstone Rovers. Having conceded inside five minutes, Rhinos’ youngsters did well to lead 10-8 at half-time, scoring two tries in quick succession midway through the period. After the break they conceded some costly penalties and spilled the ball too often when they got into good field position, but almost snatched it at the end and it was an encouraging effort against older, more experienced opponents.

Hunslet’s first two tries came in penalty sets, Jude Ferreira going over off Jack Mallinson’s pass and Jordan Syme crashing in from close range. Shane Tuohey, who started at stand-off and moved to hooker, was elusive for Leeds and heavily involved in their opening touchdown, scored by Oliver Smart from Jacob Rushforth’s pass.

Smart joined Rhinos’ academy in pre-season from Siddal, having not been part of their scholarship. His try on 22 minutes was followed three later by a long-range effort from Rhinos’ other winger, Dylan Proud. He showed impressive pace after snapping up a loose ball. He later made a stunning try-saving tackle on Dan McGrath. Proud’s try was improved by Kai Taylor-Smith to give make it 10-4 before Syme cut the gap. Full-back Taylor-Smith, son of three-time Rhinos Grand Final winner Lee Smith, was lively with ball in hand, regularly beating the first man making a series of eye-catching runs.

Keenan Dyer-Dixon, an ex-Leeds reserves player, crossed at the start of the second half to restore Hunslet’s lead and touched down, spectacularly, just before the hour. Rhinos product Mallinson added the extras to open a two-score gap and that proved crucial when Taylor-Smith set up a grandstand finish. He touched down from his own kick and added the extras with less than five left, then his kick bounced to Harry Taylor, but he knocked on just short of the line in the final seconds.

Hunslet: Watson, Sheils, Goddard, Ferreira, Render, Williams, Mallinson, Coventry, Whitmore, Everett, Syme, Levy, Gaylor. Subs McGrath, Wray, Berry, Darley, Carr, Orr, O’Hanlon, Carter, Dyer-Dixon, Punton, Mearns.

Leeds Rhinos: Taylor-Smith, Smart, Rushforth, Taylor, Proud, Tuohey, Hollidge, Hudson, Corbett, Brennan-Jones, Gilmore, Hartley, Aliyu. Subs Wrebb-Campbell, Robinson, Phillips, Stephenson.

Referee: Aaryn Belafonte (Huddersfield). Attendance: 660.