Leeds Rhinos 66 Toronto Wolfpack 12: Rampant Rhinos go top of table after thrashing Wolfpack

Rhinos scored six tries in the opening 40 minutes to lead by 30 points at the break and added five more in the final 40 – all of them converted by Rhyse Martin – to win 66-12.

It was Rhinos’ fourth straight victory and took them top of Betfred Super League. That might only last 24 hours, but it’s a fillip after the traumas of recent seasons.

If nothing else, Rhinos are probably about half way towards avoiding relegation!

It is still very early and the next three games – at Catalans Dragons and Castleford Tigers either side of a home clash with champions St Helens – will provide a more accurate measure of where Rhinos at.

But certainly, on this evidence, they look like a good team who will challenge for a place in the top-five. And they play some cracking rugby league.

Rhinos’ confidence is growing and it has been a while since they had a player with the wow-factor, which Luke Gale has.

His pass to Richie Myler for Leeds’ second try brought audible gasps of admiration from the crowd, at the time and more so when it was replayed on the big screen.

Gale has been a big factor in Rhinos’ best winning run since 2017. Skilful, he is also a tough competitor and he inspires players around him.

His half-back partner Rob Lui was also very good and there was support across the board. While Gale has provided some star quality, Leeds have been most impressive as a collective during their impressive run which has seen them score 176 points and concede only 30.

Watched by a decent Thursday night crowd of 12,143, Brad Dwyer opened the scoring for Leeds inside four minutes, from a penalty set, throwing a dummy and holding off Gadwin Springer’s attempted tackle.

Rhinos had a habit last year of failing to complete the set after they had scored and that failing reared its ugly head again as Lui dropped the restart.

It looked like Toronto had taken advantage when Matty Russell went over at the corner off some nice passing.

Referee Liam Moore signalled a try, but replays showed Russell had been tackled into touch by Harry Newman before getting the ball down and video assistant Chris Kendall ruled it out.

Leeds’ last-ditch efforts this season have been impressive and what they did next was stunning.

Lui sent Rhyse Martin into space from well inside Leeds’ half and he had Gale, making his 300th career appearance, in support.

The acting-captain dummied to pass to his right, but instead slipped the ball, round his back, the other way and Myler went over for his third try of the season, in his first start.

He continued at full-back after his man of the match performance there, off the bench, against Warrington.

Callum McLelland, who has been in outstanding form on dual-registration for Featherstone Rovers, came in on the bench.

He was introduced early in the second half, playing at acting-half. At that stage Rhinos had all the four senior half-backs in their squad on the field at the same time.

The one change – McLelland into the 17 in place of the injured Jack Walker – meant on-loan Wigan forward Joe Greenwood will have to wait at least another week for his debut. It’ll be hard to oust anyone at the moment.

Martin’s second conversion made it 12-0 after just eight minutes and, despite some occasional threat from the visitors, the half carried on in a similar manner.

The exception was on 16 minutes when Tony Gigot kicked to Toronto’s right, the ball came loose and Josh McCrone touched down.

Moore awarded the try despite a suspicion Hakim Miloudi had knocked on first – though from the big screen replay it was equally possible the ball had come off Konrad Hurrell, so the decision would probably have stood if handed on.

Gareth O’Brien reduced the gap to six points with his goal. Those were the first points scored against Rhinos in 130 minutes, but their reaction was impressive as they cruised into a 36-6 half-time lead.

Initially, Toronto almost scored again, but Miloudi was held up over the line on the last.

Moments later Gale fed Lui, he turned the ball inside to Dwyer and the number seven was the next man to take the pass and touch down. Hurrell’s enthusiastic chase, from his own kick which had looked a poor option, forced a drop out and from that Lui strolled over off Cameron Smith’s pass.

Rhinos were possibly lucky not to go a man down 10 minutes before the interval when Alex Mellor tackled Gigot in the air from Gale’s kick. There couldn’t have been any complaints had a yellow card been shown, but Moore was content to award only a penalty.

In that set, Sonny Bill Williams’ forward pass to Miloudi turned the ball over and Rhinos scored again. Dwyer, Smith, Martin and Newman kept the ball alive on the last and the latter put on some nice footwork before putting Lui in.

The stand-off had time to wave to the Western terrace – probably also order a pizza and do his taxes – before putting the ball down.

Then, as the hooter sounded, Martin kicked for Newman who made an excellent low pick up and pass to Ash Handley who touched down for the fourth time in five games.

Jack Wells, on loan from Wigan Warriors, opened the second half scoring with a soft try which O’Brien converted, but Wells then knocked on in his own half and Smith made something out of nothing to cut through from Adam Cuthbertson’s offload.

Smith has been Rhinos’ top tackler this season, but the attacking side of his game is also flourishing and he is beginning to look like a very good prospect.

The same applies to his England Knights team-mate Mikolaj Oledzki, who dropped away towards the end of last season, but has started this one in very impressive style.

He is a big individual and he used that size and strength to great effect with 18 minutes left when he forced his way over from close-range off Gale’s pass.

In the next set Hurrell hit his stride and Gale was in support to bring up his 1,500th point in Super League and also Leeds’ second half century of the season. With 12 minutes left Adam Sidlow got over Rhinos’ line and Myler and McLelland didn’t just hold him up, but shoved him out of play.

Rhinos added two more converted tries after that. Myler almost made it over following Dwyer’s break, McCrone was sin-binned for holding down and Cuthbertson powered over and on the final play Hurrell charged through to complete the rout. The penalty count was seven-seven (three-three in the first half).