Peter Smith's report and player ratings as Leeds Rhinos suffer another dismal loss to Castleford Tigers

Tigers have won only three games all season and two of them have been against Leeds. If they could play Rhinos every week, they’d be much higher up the table.

Leeds, who led by 10 with 16 minutes left, got what they deserved from a woeful performance which condemned them to a fifth defeat in six games.

Rhinos were without seven regulars through injury, but the side they put out should have been good enough to win the game, particularly after they went ahead twice.

Leeds made a good start and scored after just five minutes through former Tigers winger Derrell Olpherts who had a walk-in at the corner from Blake Austin’s long pass.

Tigers, though, replied with back-to-back tries. Jacob Miller went over from a pass by Jordan Turner after he had evaded Sam Walters, then the scrum-half supplied Elliot Wallis who surged past Nene Macdonald and Ash Handley for his first Castleford try. Gareth Widdop converted the opener.

Castleford did most of the attacking after that as Leeds made a series of errors in their own territory. Kenny Edwards was held up by Luis Roberts eight minutes before the interval and Rhinos got back in front five later when Widdop slipped trying to gather James McDonnell’s low kick and James Bentley followed up to touch down after Cameron Smith had failed to make contact with the ball. Rhyse Martin’s second conversion gave Leeds a 12-10 interval lead.

Austin’s lovely pass sent Martin over for a converted try four minutes into the second half after successive penalties, then one the other way led to Alex Mellor going over from Widdop’s pass, though that conversion attempt hit a post.

Macdonald tackled Wallis into touch before he could get the ball down and Leeds scored moments later, on 64 minutes, when they tapped a kickable penalty and Mikolaj Oledzki smashed his way over from Bentley’s offload.

That and Martin’s fourth goal should have sealed matters, but Mellor scored his second try following an error by Roberts and then Jason Qareqare finished brilliantly from Jack Bradbent’s pass, Widdop converting both win it for Tigers.

Here’s how the Rhinos players rated.