Leeds Rhinos 18 Huddersfield Giants 17: comeback kings do it again in Super League thriller

It was the latest in a series of close battles between these two sides, though that didn’t seem likely after seven minutes, when Huddersfield led 10-0.

Giants were utterly dominant in the opening quarter, but Leeds – as they had done against Catalans Dragons two weeks earlier – clawed their way back into the contest and were in front by the hour.

Leeds looked disorganised on attack in the first-half and lacked a cutting edge, but they put that right in the third quarter when they scored three tries.

It finished four tries to three and Rhinos were deserved winners, though Jake Connor missed a straightforward conversion attempt which would have edged Huddersfield ahead with 10 minutes left.

The result and performance continued Rhinos’ up and down form and, for the final hour, was a far cry from the dismal effort against Hull KR last weekend.

Once again it suggested Rhinos could have a say in the battle for silverware this year, if they can only find some consistency. They can’t afford another off day against Hull on Friday.

Giants are a resolute side who make few mistakes and don’t go away and it was an impressive effort from Leeds to overhaul them after their poor start.

Rhinos’ 17 was about as strong as it could be, with Ash Handley returning from injury two weeks ahead of schedule and Nene Macdonald and Richie Myler also back in the starting side. All three contributed to the win.

It started badly. Rhinos shot themselves in the foot twice as Giants raced 10-0 ahead after seven minutes.

First, Mikjolaj Oledzlki was penalised for knocking the ball out and from that, Jermaine McGillvary went over off Tui Lolohea’s pass after a kick by Connor rebounded off James Bentley’s foot.

In the next set James McDonnell was penalised for a high tackle on Will Pryce, Leeds were marched back 10 metres for dissent and in the resulting set Chris McQueen shrugged off Blake Austin to cross from Chris Hill’s pass.

Then, after 15 minutes, Myler was sin-binned for a high tackle on McGillvary as the winger headed for the line from Connor’s kick. Giants almost scored from that, but Bentley prevented Kevin Naiqama getting the ball down over the line.

Connor extended the visitors’ lead after 23 minutes when his kick was dropped by Macdonald and picked up in an offside position.

Rhinos steadied the ship after that and applied some pressure, but managed just one - unconverted - try, six minutes before the interval, through Handley who got over at the corner from Austin’s bullet pass.

At one stage late in the half, Giants conceded three successive set restarts. Has rugby league ever come up with a worse law?

At the end of all that, Handley couldn’t hang on to Austin’s pass; Naiqama counter-attacked, but was halted by a terrific tackle from McDonnell. Then Connor dropped a goal on the final play of the half.

McDonnell is still a Super League rookie, but has made a good start to his Rhinos career and he did well to score the opening try of the second period, running a nice line on to a pass from Austin after Leeds seemed to be bogged down in midfield.

That was on 47 minutes and six later Rhinos scored again. Harry Newman, Handley and Myler combined over an 80-metre move, which Macdonald kept alive; then Austin’s long pass picked out Martin, on the left-wing and he raced over.

Having missed the first two conversion attempts, Martin handed duties to Aidan Sezer and he sent his kick wide.

On 59, Sezer put up a high kick, which Myler and McGillvary challenged for, the ball bounced off Connor’s chest, rolled through Lolohea’s legs and Cameron Smith pounced to touch down, nosing Rhinos ahead.

Martin resumed kicking duties and added the extras to make it 18-13, though Leeds had scored four tries to Giants’ two.

All that hard work semed to have been undone by a clean break from Lolohea which led to Giants’ scoring when McQueen touched down from a kick by Connor, but Connor couldn’t add the two and Leeds remained a point ahead with 10 minutes left

With three minutes remaining, Connor drilled the ball into touch near Rhinos’ line when he could have gone for a one-pointer, then Lolohea was wide with a drop goal attempt.

Leeds Rhinos: Myler, Macdonald, Newman, Martin, Handley, Austin, Sezer, Oledzki, O’Connor, Holroyd, Bentley, McDonnell, Smith. Subs Johnson, Lisone, Sangare, Tetevano.

Huddersfield Giants: Pryce, McGillvary, Marsters, Naiqama, Halsall, Connor, Lolohea, Hill, Peats, English, McQueen, Livett, Yates. Subs O’Brien, Ikahihifo, Rushton, Ashworth.

Referee: Ben Thaler (Wakefield).

Attendance: 13,234.