Leeds Rhinos 52 Hull KR 10 - Ruthless Leeds Rhinos clip poor Robins’ wings

After a home shellacking by Hull in Betfred Super League round one – and a postponement last week – another defeat would have left Rhinos already four points behind Rovers and added to fears this might be another long, miserable season.

That might still be the case, but Rhinos showed – albeit against limited opposition – they are capable of playing fast, exciting and effective rugby when they get their act together.

Rovers didn’t offer much in opposition and losing their half-back after the warm-up – Jamie Ellis pulled out and was replaced by Jordan Abdull – didn’t help.

But you deal with what’s in front of you and Rhinos did that in good style.

As against Hull in their previous game, they missed a couple of early opportunities, but – unlike round one – they maintained the tempo, scoring three quick-fire tries to go 20-0 ahead before the Robins scored on the stroke of half-time.

Rhinos started the second period in similar style to the first and added three more tries to make the game safe before Rovers pulled one back.

Encouragingly, Leeds kept their foot down and added three more tries after that to complete a morale-lifting 80 minutes. It was their first half-century against Super League opposition since July, 2017.

The mood on the terraces wasn’t particularly optimistic before the game, but Rhinos set their stall out with a confident start.

They received two kickable penalties in the opening moments, but tapped both and after each Brad Dwyer almost got over from acting-half, then Cameron Smith was held up over the line, but Ava Seumanufagai spilled a low pass from Luke Gale.

Leeds had another early chance when Gale and Rob Lui linked sweetly on the last and the latter’s pass found Dwyer, but he crashed into a post and was held up before he could ground the ball.

It was a very bright start, but Rhinos needed a try and they got it on nine minutes. It was a nice move, begun by Smith.

Lui handled before Jack Walker’s excellent long pass picked out Luke Briscoe. He did really well, shrugging between two defenders and then slipping out a nice offload to his centre Harry Newman, who scored. Gale’s conversion provided his first points for Leeds.

He was kicking – and captained the team – in Rhyse Martin’s absence, which was also why Briscoe came into the side for his first Leeds appearance.

Harry Newman moved to centre and Liam Sutcliffe switched from the backs into the second-row, alongside Alex Mellor who made his first start.

Martin had “minor” surgery during the week, but will be available at Salford Red Devils next Saturday.

With Stevie Ward out due to concussion – Leeds’ two starting second-rows from round one, also the captain and vice-captain, were missing.

The reshuffle was a success, though. Newman looked much more comfortable in the right-centre rather than a place further out and Briscoe was terrific, particularly at the start of the game.

Rhinos’ second try, after 19, was a beauty as well. The move began with a thundering run, from a standing start, by Konrad Hurrell who seems to enjoy playing against Hull KR and was a handful all evening.

He offloaded to Ash Handley, the winger supplied Walker and then made a terrific low catch when the pass was returned.

On the next play Gale kicked across to the right and Briscoe tapped the ball out of Kane Linnett’s grasp to Newman and he touched down again.

Briscoe made a break from the re-start and at the end of that set Hurrell had a run, then kicked against a post and as the defence dithered, Smith reacted quickly to touchdown.

Yet another break, by Gale this time, led to a penalty which the acting-captain goaled on 27 minutes to make it 20-0.

The question at that stage was whether Leeds could maintain the pace for the full-80, or even most of it.

They dropped off in patches, but overall it was a good all-round display. Leeds got over the line once more before the break, when Lui put up a high kick and Mellor knocked it to Smith, but the final pass was forward.

Rovers hadn’t had much ball or any territory, but they pulled a try back on the final play of the half.

Rhinos’ first unforced error came on 34 minutes when Matt Prior knocked on. Three minutes later Mikolaj Oledzki spilled the ball near Rovers’ line and Matt Parcell, the former Leeds hooker who returned from injury, beat a couple of players before Dwyer dragged him down.

Handley then made an outstanding tackle on Shaun Kenny-Dowell, but a penalty kept the pressure on as Greg Minikin managed to twist over to get the visitors on the scoreboard, though Ryan Brierley’s kick went wide.

Prior and Oledzki were held up over the line on successive plays at the start of the second half and the latter was tackled just short.

But, as in the first half, Leeds maintained their composure and were rewarded, on 47 minutes, when Walker broke through some feeble attempted tackles and darted in for the hosts’ fourth touchdown.

That should have been prevented, but Leeds’ next score – five minutes later – was a stunner. Jordan Abdul’s kick was dropped backwards by Briscoe deep in Leeds territory; Newman picked up, weaved into space and Handley was in support to take the pass and scorch over unopposed.

Smith has made an impressive start to the season and after making 61 tackles against Hull, he bagged a brace last night. His second came off some nice interplay on the last between Lui and Walker who provided the final pass.

Abdull pulled a try back, improved by Brierley, with 13 left, but Hurrell snatched the ball back to score from a kick by Gale.

In the final two minutes James Donaldson pushed off the defence for a powerful try against his old club, off Richie Myler’s pass.

Leeds’ last tackle options were much-improved. On the final play, Gale hoisted a kick, Myler snatched it from the full-back and Gale’s eighth conversion – from 10 attempts – completed the scoring.

It was a big night for rookie match official Tom Grant, a member of the Leeds Referees’ Society, who was in charge of a senior game at Emerald Headingley for the first time.

He had refereed Rhinos before, in July, 2018, when they lost at Salford Red Devils. He did a good job. The penalty count was seven-five in Leeds’ favour – four-two to the hosts in the first half.