Sam Lisone the match winner as Leeds Rhinos make positive Super League start v Salford Red Devils

Rhinos, who fielded six debutants, trailed three times - including 14-8 at half-time - but showed real character to level each on each occasion before big prop Sam Lisone enhanced his growing cult status by crashing over for the winning try 10 minutes from time.

It looked like both teams’ first competitive match, but was the sort of game Leeds tended to lose last year. It wasn’t pretty - though Ash Handley’s brace of tries, on his 28th birthday, were - but it was a solid start and there were encouraging signs, particularly from the likes of Handley, Lisone, Oledzki, Andy Ackers and Cameron Smith.

Watched by a crowd of 15,126, it was only Leeds’ third win in nine round one fixtures since their treble-winning season of 2015. They were without right-wing David Fusitu’a who, as in two pre-season games, was sidelined by injury after being named in the initial squad. Luis Roberts started in his place. Salford’s former Leeds three-quarter Nene Macdonald came in for some abuse from the South Stand - particularly when he dropped a kick-off - but the Papuan New Guinean had a strong game.

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The visitors went ahead through a Marc Sneyd penalty goal after nine minutes, but that was cancelled out soon afterwards by a Rhyse Martin kick, following a high tackle on Brodie Croft by Ryan Brierley who was sin-binned. The 12 men went back in front when Cade Cust who touched down from Sneyd’s grubber. That came off an uncharacteristic mistake by Handley who spilled a high kick from the number seven. Leeds’ left winger made amends in spectacular fashion as Brierley reentered the action, finding a gap 10 metres from Leeds’ line and out-pacing the cover.

Martin added the extras, but Oli Partington nipped over from close range and Sneyd booted his second conversion to make it 14-8 at the interval. Rhinos were hard done by before the visitors’ second try, the officials calling a knock-on by Roberts from a long kick, when the ball clearly went backwards.

Handley’s second try, converted off the touchline by Martin, got Leeds back level nine minutes after the break following a spell of steady pressure. The winger did exceptionally well to touch down a smart, low kick from Martin.

Salford went ahead for the third time at the end of the third quarter when Sneyd landed another penalty goal. Leeds’ debutant centre Paul Momirovski was sin-binned after a ridiculous delay for video referee Ben Thaler to make the decision, though there didn’t look to be much to their incident. Extra use of the video ref is going to cause frustration this year.

Five minutes later Amir Bourouh was sin-binned for a professional foul on James Donaldson in front of the visitors’ posts and Martin took the two to make it 16-16. Leeds had the numerical advantage when they went ahead for the first time with 10 left, Lisone capping a strong game off the bench by crashing over from Cameron Smith’s pass.

With three minutes remaining Kallum Watkins had a touchdown ruled out by referee Aaron Moore and assistant Thaler for a knock-on from Sneyd’s kick. It was a game that could have gone either way, but Rhinos hung in and just about shaded it. The penalty count finished 10-7 in Leeds’ favour, after being five-three at half-time.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Roberts, Newman, Momirovski, Handley, Croft, Frawley, Donaldson, Ackers, Oledzki, Goudemand, Martin, C Smith. Subs Sangarte, Lisone, O’Connor, Bentley.

Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Hankinson, Macdonald, Lafai, Cross, Cyst, Sneyd, Singleton, Borough, Ormondroyd, Stone, Watkins, Partington. Subs Atkin, Wright, Shorrocks, Hellewell.

Referee: Aaron Moore (Wigan). Attendance: 15,126.