Leeds Rhinos fans delighted with win over 'worst' St Helens side, look forward to huge clash v Wigan Warriors

Wigan Warriors will take a 14-match winning run into Saturday’s Betfred Super League leaders’ shield decider, but Rhinos warmed up with an impressive 34-6 win at St Helens last weekend and, with Jake Connor in sparkling form, our panel feel they’ve got what it takes to end the visitors’ hot streak. Here’s what they made of Leeds’ first home and away double against Saints since 2015 and their thoughts ahead of this weekend’s huge top-two clash.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

In our latest landmark win, Leeds dominated a poor St Helens side as they picked up their first two points in Merseyside since 2023 and ensured the fight for the league leaders’ shield goes the full distance. It was a one-sided affair with Saints offering very little when they had the ball.

It was quite the performance from Rhinos; every player stepped up and made sure it was an unforgettable night for the fans who travelled. They remained composed throughout the game and were ruthless when presented with opportunities to score.

The catalyst for all this was our star man as usual, Jake Connor. He provided another three assists to take his total to 42 for the season, but it’s his ability to step up and guide the team on the field which impresses me the most.

His 20/40 kick to take the pressure off us and put us on the front foot is just another impressive example of when he has stepped up this season. He is one of the best players I've seen in a Rhinos shirt and hopefully he will pick up two winners’ medals to top off another impressive campaign from our number seven.

One slight negative from Friday night was our lack of discipline. We gave a lot of silly penalties away, especially when we had Saints pinned in their own half and against a better team we would have been punished. We have been the best team in the competition this season and it would be a waste to see us fail because of our discipline.

Looking ahead to Wigan at home, this is the biggest game of the season so far and will ultimately decide who takes home the league leaders’ shield. While Wigan are a strong team and I don’t think it’ll be the last time we play them this year, we have been almost unstoppable at home and backed by a sold out Headingley, I think we will get the two points to guarantee our first piece of silverware this season.

BECKY OXLEY

After securing just one victory out of 12 previous encounters against the Saints on their home turf - and considering their efforts to break into the top-six - I anticipated a tightly-contested match. I predicted a four-point difference and I was completely mistaken.

Once we found our rhythm in the game, we played with confidence and every player contributed significantly. In my opinion, Jake Connor was pivotal; his kicking and swift passing facilitated numerous tries and kept the team grounded and focused. He remains humble and consistently emphasizes the potential for improvement, which speaks volumes about his character as a player.

The strength of our defence was also crucial in securing the win. For the most part we were on top of every player, preventing them from making any significant runs. Although the Saints were not at their peak, limiting them to just one try is no small achievement.

Looking ahead, we face Wigan next. I am thrilled about this match and I expect the nerves to be palpable on game night. It would be fantastic to secure another two points and triumph over another major rival. I predict a closely-contested game, with Leeds emerging victorious by two points.

IAIN SHARP

While the dish of revenge was not exactly served cold, maybe lukewarm will do as Leeds thumped St Helens last Friday night. That revenge for last season’s play-off defeat is worthy of a greater stage and bigger occasion, rather than against a team that has been mediocre all season and is currently in freefall - and we may not even have to worry about in the play-offs as they won’t qualify.

Leeds, on the other hand, are looking the real deal at the moment. There’s the usual names like Brodie Croft and Jake Connor, but raps to the likes of Chris Hankinson, who plays virtually anywhere and kicks the odd goal too. He’s an integral part of laying the platform that allows our stars to perform. Jack Bird is finding his feet and newly-arrived Matt Lodge can only get better in the coming weeks.

We’ve weathered the injury storm. Saints away saw the return of Danny Levi to the side, though only briefly and with the likes of Keenan Palaisa, Maika Sivo and James McDonnell close to a comeback, we’ll be near full strength at just the right time, with the play-offs only a few weeks away now.

Onwards to Saturday and a game that could be billed as the biggest of the season - a winner-takes-all tie against Wigan at Headingley.

DAVID MUHL

What a team performance that was. All 17 players played their part and produced a top-class performance, however one player stood out and I’m running out of superlatives for this man. From a superb 20/40 kick to some sublime ball-handling, Jake Connor was involved in everything good in this game. If he doesn’t walk away with every award going at the end of the season there’s something wrong.

The forwards were also immense, imposing themselves right from the kick-off and allowing the backs to play an exciting, entertaining game. Brodie Croft kept his try scoring run going and is now just one behind Maika Sivo.

One player who impressed me was Matt Lodge; he ran with real power and is able to give some lovely offloads. Cooper Jenkins is Mr Consistency this year; he rarely has a bad game and Cameron Smith is playing the best rugby of his career, just as he is about to leave us. For a big man he is so light on his feet and bamboozles defenders with his footwork.

The only downside was the injury to Danny Levi. He looked distraught when he left the field. I spoke to him just after his injury at Cas and he said he had considered retiring as it had frightened him and his wife. I sincerely hope the recurrence of this injury can be sorted and it doesn’t end his career; not only is he a great player, but he’s also a smashing fella.

I was a bit concerned in the first half about our discipline, five penalties and five six-agains were not what we have come to expect from this Leeds team. It’s Wigan at Headingley next, a game that will decide the league leaders’ shield. It’s hard to predict and Wigan have been in great form. We will have to be at our best, but a full house should motivate the team to do us proud.

KATIE MARCZYNSKI

Friday’s win was needed - we looked composed, played pretty well and the result was never in doubt. But all that against probably the worst Saints side in history, so let's not get carried away just yet.

It was yet another Jake Connor masterclass - how many times have we said that this season? He surely must be topping the Man of Steel standings and if he isn’t, it's going to be very close. There was potentially worrying news for Danny Levi on the injury front. I really hope it’s nothing serious and he’s in the squad this week.

Looking ahead to Saturday and I absolutely can’t wait. I’ve given the Super League fixture planners plenty of criticism over the years, but they’ve absolutely nailed this one. First versus second, on level points, on a Saturday night in front of what should be a sold-out Headingley - I can't think of anything better.

We all know Wigan are the team to beat this year and we’ll rightly go into the game as underdogs; they’re on a 13-game winning streak and beat us convincingly back in May. Losing on Saturday likely won’t cost us the league leaders’ shield, but winning would massively boost our Grand Final hopes and give us momentum at this crucial stage of the season.