Leeds Rhinos: We're finding top gear says Galloway

Rhinos made it three wins from their last four First Utility Super League fixtures with a shock 20-15 triumph at Hull last weekend.

And Galloway feels they can look ahead to the rest of the campaign with confidence after putting an 80-minute performance together for the first time this year.

“It was a hard, tough win,” Galloway said.

“We’ve been working hard for a few weeks and that probably showed in the performance.

“I thought we really toughed it out. In the past month of football we’ve been playing good football, but we haven’t been playing for 80 minutes.

“On Friday I think we definitely played for the whole game; we never gave up and we toughed it out.”

Leeds went ahead for the eighth successive match, but were 13-4 behind at half-time and 15-8 adrift inside the final 10 minutes before Kallum Watkins crossed twice to seal a memorable victory.

“I think we were the better side, but they were tough,” Galloway added.

“They didn’t give up for the whole game so it was a really tough challenge for us, but it was four tries to two and if we had kicked a few more goals it would have been a bigger score.”

The success at KCOM Stadium, as Hull’s ground is now known, completed a league double over the East Yorkshire outfit, who were top of the table before the match.

Leeds’ sixth victory of the season came too late to salvage a place in the Super-8s, but was a warning to Rhinos’ potential rivals in the Qualifiers, which begin next month.

Rhinos will be fighting for their Super League future, less than a year after completing the treble, and Galloway said: “We have got to hit form and kick on from this because we are going to be in the middle-eights soon.

“That is a whole different competition and we have got to make sure we are on our game for that.”

Bottom will face top for the second successive week this Friday when Rhinos play host to Wigan Warriors, who took advantage of Hull’s slip-up by beating Wakefield Trinity Wildcats to claim pole position.

“They have put it over us twice this year,” Galloway recalled. “They are coming to our home and it is always tough, they are a great side, so it should be another challenge for us, but I am sure the boys are going to be looking forward to it.

“I think if we can repeat that [last Friday’s] effort and intensity and then replicate it next week [at Hull KR] we should be in good stead for the middle-eights.”

Hooker James Segeyaro, signed from Penrith Panthers until the end of the season, made an impressive debut against Hull and Galloway feels he will give the team a new dimension.

“He was really good,” said the prop. “He is a really good player and he added a bit of spark.”