Leeds Rhinos fans make poetic plea for coach to stay, hail 'try of the decade', tip Grand Final visit after win v Hull KR

Leeds hit back from 8-0 down to pull off a huge result which moved them back into third spot on the Betfred Super League table and set up another massive game at home to fifth-placed St Helens on Friday. Here - including a bit of poetry - is what our panel made of a memorable afternoon in east Hull.

GAVIN MILLER

Best win of the season? Certainly. Best performance of the season? The second half, certainly.

I thought Leeds were great on Sunday. In my least favourite ground to watch rugby league, I thought they rose above the partisan crowd and put in a performance worthy of a top-three team.

Talking of the crowd, I can only presume with Rovers’ newly found ‘success’ they have inherited some new fans who don’t understand the rules of rugby league, calling for high tackles that aren’t and fervently booing correct decisions from the referee. A strange bunch.

But hey, let’s look at the positives: good structure again, relatively sound defensively, Leeds soaked up a lot of pressure in the first half and then grew into the game in the second half to produce a near-perfect 40-minute performance. It had me Tweeting after the game I was ready to fill in my IF Form, as I do believe this is a Grand Final team in the making.

Finally, what a winning try - a try of the season contender, it was beautiful watching a team back up over and over again as they swept the full length of the field for an aesthetically pleasing score. Good work Leeds, same Friday night against St Helens, please.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

In what turned out to be one of the performances of the year, Leeds Rhinos turned around an 8-0 deficit to win 14-8 and place themselves firmly among the front runners for this year’s Super League title. While we have improved drastically this season, we were lacking a statement win to really say we are back. Sunday's win against table toppers Hull KR was that for me.

Though the first half did not go our way, we were resilient in defence and kept going when the tide was against us, restricting them to just eight points. It was scrappy at times and we rode our luck, but good teams find a way to win, which is exactly what we did. I said last week we would have to be at our best to get anything from this match and the team stepped up to the challenge.

There were so many outstanding performances, it's an impossible task to fit them all in. If you had told me this time last year that Lachie Miller and Jake Connor would be our standout players, I would have asked you what you were drinking and if I could have some. I'm running out of superlatives to describe these two and their performances will be crucial if we are to win anything this season. I’m not sure how much more Connor needs to do to be part of Shaun Wane’s England plans, he has been the standout player in Super League this season.

Topping off our performance was a very special winning try. The combination between our players was straight off the training ground and highlighted the unity within the squad right now. For me, it is the try of the season. Rumour has it Peta Hiku is still spinning in circles looking for Alfie Edgell.

Looking ahead to the Saints game, we need to keep this level of performance up. The top-two is within reach and we are certainly good enough to at least be finishing second. We have been solid at home this year and I can see us righting the wrongs from the embarrassing loss two weeks ago and continuing to put pressure on Wigan and KR.

BECKY OXLEY

A Sunday afternoon visit to Hull KR produced exactly the match I anticipated. The highlight of the game was Lachie Miller both setting up and scoring what I believe to be the try of the season, resulting from a near-length-of-the-field effort. The match was thrilling and, in the second half, we showcased some exceptional rugby, demonstrating our skills impressively.

Hull KR are not easy opponents - having lost only once this season, to Wigan - so securing two points at this stage of the competition gives us optimism and a solid chance to contend for a top-two finish by the end of the season.

There has been considerable discussion this week regarding Jake Connor’s absence from the England squad and Brad Arthur’s role as coach for the next season. I appreciate that this has not affected the team and we remain focused on the league. I hope we can retain BA for next season, but will fully respect his decision, whatever it may be.

Personally, I believe Jake Connor should have been included in the England squad. Perhaps I am biased as a Rhinos supporter, but he is demonstrating the necessary skills and the statistics support this. He is currently leading the Man Of Steel rankings and the player he has been this year has exhibited remarkable composure and talent.

Looking ahead to the weekend, we have a double header against St Helens for both the men’s and women’s teams. It promises to be an exciting Friday night and I am eager for a victorious evening for the Rhinos across both matches. It will be a challenge, but if we perform as we did on Sunday, we should secure the two points.

IAIN SHARP

What a fantastic win, topped off by possibly the try of the season, decade, 21st century, or even the Anthropocene Period, as the ball passed through six pairs of hands before landing back to Lachie Miller to dive over. If you thought last week’s 85-yarder was good, this was sublime. Even at 8-0 down and referee Chris Kendall again proving he missed the physics lesson at school on Newtonian motion - only halting Rovers’ play when a ball went so far forward it arrived in a different time zone - I was still confident. The break gave chance for Leeds to forego the usual isotonic drinks and instead replace them with raw steak and electric cattle prods. Rovers lost talismanic panto villain Mikey Lewis to a suspected case of pryceitis (a condition that causes the afflicted to become almost invisible during a big game) and wilted in the drizzle in the second half.

The term sold-out must have a different meaning in east Hull. The game was supposed to be Rovers’ 25th successive sell out and yet, in the Roger Millward main stand and the temporary one in the south eastern corner, there were rows and blocks of seats unoccupied throughout the game. So who is kidding who?

Now Rovers are pulling in decent crowds and Leeds managed to sell out their allocation, they need to get a grip of seating arrangements. Though I have some knowledge in this field, I am writing on a strictly personal basis. Half the travelling support were told it was allocated seats, while the other half were told it was unallocated, sit where you like. As a result, I couldn’t occupy my seat and many others couldn’t either, while folks in orange jackets stood around watching as chaos ensued.

Make it clear either way and communicate that to the fans. Maybe the odd steward directing folks to their allocated seats might help too. This needs to be sorted out before a serious incident occurs.

DAVID MUHL

People thought I was mad last week when I tipped Leeds to win at Hull KR, but the boys proved me right with a performance of class, aggression and patience. Patience was most definitely needed; playing into a fierce wind it was hard to get any play down in Rovers’ half and it was in the stars Rhyse Martin would score against us. But come the second half, the boys took over and a win was the only possible outcome.

There were great performances across the board. I have in the past been a big critic of Sam Lisone, but he had a storming game, deservedly scoring a try. Lachie Miller was the Sky Sports man of the match, but was run close by Jake Connor, Jarrod O’Connor and Ash Handley. I doubt you will see a better team try than the one scored by Miller, started by him close to Leeds’ line, a great break by Alfie Edgell and finished by Miller after going through numerous hands. We’re third in the table, but I don’t think a top-two finish is out of reach. It is now imperative we move heaven and earth to keep Brad Arthur.

Oh Brad, you’ve come from distant shore, to lead the Rhino, fight once more.

With steady hand and thoughtful eyes,

You’ve lit a flame beneath our skies.

We know your heart is torn in two,

Your family waits, they miss you too.

But here in Leeds, a second home,

Where northern winds and spirits roam.

The fans, the best you’ll ever find,

With chants that echo, fierce and kind.

At Headingley where legends tread,

You’ve sparked belief, you’ve set the tone.

Brad, this fight is not yet done.

So though your heart feels far away, we ask you, Rhinos coach, please stay.