Leeds Rhinos Jury: Star Wars puns, marvelling at Martin and high hopes for top-six

Reviewing the 34-14 win over Salford which lifted Rhinos into sixth on the table, the panel are full of praise for Rohan Smith’s team and particularly marksman Rhyse Martin’s 22-point haul.

KHYA GOTT

A sunny Sunday and a Rhinos win in the heart of Yorkshire, what more could you ask for?

Well, Leeds are now in sixth and it didn’t feel like it at the time, but that draw against Huddersfield earlier on in the season could well be the difference.

Another handful of tries and seven successful kicks helped the team to victory at Headingley, with the energy from the South Stand spurring them on.

It was a great afternoon and another hard fought win that puts us back into the mix for a play-off position come the end of the season.

Who could’ve predicted that we’d eventually climb up to sixth with the ball in our court for the end of the season after the awful start we had? Not me, that’s for sure.

Three wins a row now, can we make that four or five?

Our next two games are Hull HR and Warrington, who are both below us in the table.

I’m daring to dream and finishing in the top-six would be a remarkable end to a season that

was written off not long ago.

IAIN SHARP

“It’s a long way back to Weatherfield …” so says the old song, as Leeds dispatched Salford last Sunday, the visitors almost staging a comeback from 18-0 down and containing a playing roster boasting the ‘most remarkable hair-do’ seen at Headingley this season.

One of the highlights was Rhyse Martin chipping in with two tries and seven goals and he has looked revitalised since he secured a new contract.

He has not missed the last 23 goals he’s attempted and a reliable kicker can make the real difference on the scoreboard.

With his form and the fact Leeds have only lost twice since the arrival of the new coach, it really is ‘Rohan and Martin’s Laugh-In’ at the moment !

Next Sunday - sorry, Friday - is a visit to East Hull and another ‘four pointer’ in the quest for the last play-off spot, against Hull KR.

One annoying thing for fans is the way that games are changed at relatively short notice, in this case for television and the fact both Hull clubs were scheduled to be home on the same day before the change. Such short notice changes drive fans away.

TOM RHODES

Well, that was a weird game.

We started off incredibly well, scoring a try less than a minute into it, which was brilliant.

But after Rhyse Martin scored his first try, we just fell apart.

It seemed as if we fell asleep, thinking this was going to be an easy game.

Fair play to Salford, they came back and threw everything at us, but we held strong and stopped them from getting in front, then Ash Handley got that lovely intercept and ran the entire length of the pitch to score.

After that we suddenly woke back up again, but we need to make sure we don’t make a habit of falling away like that.

Hull KR on Friday is going to be an extremely difficult game after they came back from behind against Toulouse to secure a victory.

They are going to be well up for Friday after our loss of concentration during the Salford game.

We need to make sure we score first and think of nothing else.

It’ll be great to see Danny McGuire, anyway and some other familiar faces at KR like Matt Parcell and Jimmy Keinhorst.

OLIVER LIMON

It was Star Wars day at Headingley and the force was with Leeds against fellow play-off contenders Salford in a must-win game.

Leeds got off to a perfect start with the ball going through several hands before Newman ran 'like a bat out of hell' to finish for a great try.

It looked like a cake walk after 16 minutes as Leeds cruised to an 18-0 lead.

Credit to Salford who bounced back and at 18-14 the game was in the balance.

Ash Handley went 80 metres for the try of the match, finally getting the interception score he had been threatening for a few weeks.

Martin made the game safe with his second try, capping a man of the match display from him and a personal haul of 22 points.

Next up are Hull KR and a great chance to push on.

This winning habit is becoming an excellent malarkey with five victories from the last six games and it's so much fun to watch.

It's great to be in a play-off spot and long may the run continue.

KENDLE HARDISTY

That’s five wins out of the last six games for Rohan’s Rhinos and doesn’t it feel good!

Salford at home was a massive game in terms of beating the teams around us for the final play-off spot and we had to turn up.

Martin was absolutely immense and thoroughly deserved his man of the match award.

I think getting him pinned down with his new deal was the best business of the season so far.

It’s very much an enjoyable experience again going to Headingley and watching the boys. They are putting in the effort that all Rhinos fans want regardless of the result.

There will now be an expectation of the lads to carry on pushing and not get carried away when they go to Hull KR on Friday.

It’s a game that, once again, we are more than capable of winning with the right mentality. Hull KR will be pushing to reach the play-offs and I’m sure old boy Danny Mags won’t lay down easily and let the Rhinos have it all their own way.

JOSH MORROW

A win at home to Salford used to be a given, but their coach Paul Rowley has carried on the great work from Ian Watson and that made last Sunday a massive win against a very dangerous side.

It was Leeds’ third on the bounce - and fifth from the last six games - and has finally pushed them up into the play-offs

There’s no doubt Rohan Smith has started to get the Rhinos firing on all cylinders as that was the third game in a row they have scored 34 or more points, something they’ve done in all five of those wins.

There was a stage where Leeds never looked like scoring in games earlier this season and at times never looked like stopping the opposition, but now they are a side who can put points on anyone.

If they can make it to the play-offs I think Leeds can give all the other teams in there problems, maybe baring Saints who are unplayable when they are on it.

The next two games are vital for Leeds in distancing themselves from the teams below them.

A win away at Hull KR and then at home to Warrington will go a long way to cementing

themselves in the play-offs.