Leeds Rhinos secure Super League status after Huddersfield Giants lose
Leeds Rhinos are safe in Super League for 2017.
Leigh Centurions’ 48-40 win over Huddersfield Giants confirmed promotion for the Championship leaders and also guaranteed Rhinos will be playing in the top-flight next year.
Leeds - who finished fourth from bottom in Super League - and Leigh both have a 100 per cent reord with five games played in the Qualifiers.
Giants needed to win to have a chance of overhauling the two pace-setters, but found themselves 48-10 behind early in the second half before staging a late 30-point rally.
That was not enough and the 2013 Super League table-toppers are now in a three-way battle with Hull KR and Salford Red Devils to avoid relegation.
Huddersfield will still take the final automatic place in Super League if they win their two remaining games, at home to Leeds and away against Hull KR.
Rovers need to win their last three - beginning at London Broncos on Sunday - to overhaul Giants and send them into a likely meeting with Salford in the million pound match.
Giants’ defeat was good news for Salford who could still sneak into third place on the middle-eights table if they beat Championship teams Featherstone Rovers, London and Batley Bulldogs in their final three games and other results go their way.
London are also still in the hunt, but can’t afford to drop any more points.