'Through the wringer': Leeds Rhinos Jury given 'heart palpitations' by comeback win v Huddersfield Giants

Rhinos were 12-0 down midway through the first-half and nine points adrift at the break, but staged a spirited rally over the final 40 minutes.

Winger Nene Macdonald, loose-forward Cameron Smith and substitute Sam Lisone were among the players to impress our panel.

BECKY OXLEY

An Easter Sunday clash against the Giants was the task this week. Was this going to be the start of the resurrection of the Rhinos season and get us on a winning streak?

Two Huddersfield tries and a sin-binning in 15 minutes at the start of the game not the way to start.

Defensively, in the first-half 1st we were poor, missing tackles, though we came back and showed a glimpse of what we were capable of.

I was in awe of Nene McDonald who was fasting for Ramadan. It shows true dedication. In the second-half we came to life and, with some great passing and runs, we scored some fantastic tries and showed some real commitment and passion and teamwork.

It seems a trend for us to have second-half comebacks and not that I’m complaining, but we need to start playing for the full 80.

We have Hull on Friday night and that won’t be easy. They haven’t had the best start to the season, but it’s never easy against them. Let’s get behind the boys and get them pumping.

DAVID MUHL

My team really like to put me through the wringer. Recently, we seem to be a team that only plays well in the second-half. The first-half against Huddersfield, particularly the first eight minutes, was appalling.

The team obviously hadn’t read the match program, otherwise they would have kept a better eye on Chris McQueen. Yet again unforced errors and silly penalties were our downfall. This was the second time in recent games we have been marched 10 for dissent. You should learn very early in your rugby league education that if you back chat to the referee there is only one winner.

Despite the poor first-half we played some good stuff in the second. Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer had good games and whereas in the first-half it looked like they couldn’t unlock a very well organised Huddersfield defence, they caused some real problems with their attacking runs and decent kicks. Rhyse Martin had another off day with his boot, his confidence seems low and he needs a good run; four out of 10 is not the form we expect from him.

It was good to see Ash Handley back, he had some good runs, looked safe under the high ball and took his try well.

Our three-quarter line is starting to look good and they played some excellent rugby in the second-half. The try from Martin was a good 80-metre move involving Handley, Richie Myler, Nene Macdonald and Blake Austin; it was highly entertaining rugby.

The one thing that’s consistent in Leeds’ 2023 season is the form of Cameron Smith, who is performing magnificently - despite the mullet!

With games against Hull, Leigh and Salford coming up this is our chance to move up the table, but I guess it depends which team turns up, the first-half one or the second-half one.

IAIN SHARP

Leeds’ Easter outing proved you only need turn up for a half to beat most of the teams in the

league, as they dispatched Huddersfield in a nail-biter on Sunday evening.

It would be easy to bag match officials, but the Richie Myler sin-binning shows all that is wrong with the game.

Everyone in the ground and watching at home could see it was a great tackle across the chest. All except the match officials and probably Jon Wilkin, given the involvement of Myler, who was penalised for a high tackle.

To make a mistake is human, but the RFL sets its officials up for a fall when it fails to utilise the plethora of technology already available to reverse that obvious error.

The ‘captain’s call’, used to good effect in the last World Cup would have been perfect in this situation and would have probably saved Myler a yellow card.

Ultimately, it didn’t cost Leeds and Huddersfield’s talisman, Jake Connor, provided enough

ammunition to engineer the Giants’ own downfall at the death.

Highlighting how bonkers the current RFL fixtures are, Leeds face Hull FC again at home on Friday,

less than two months since they faced off in the season’s opening game and without meeting some

teams even once so far in the league.

JOSH JACKSON

After a shambolic performance last week, our first 15 minutes against Huddersfield picked up where we left off.

After a fast start from Huddersfield and then Richie Myler being put in the sin-bin, it felt like it was going to be a long afternoon.

However, we know this Rhinos team doesn’t go away that easily. From 20 minutes onwards we started to control the game and had lots of opportunities with the ball, but our attack - as usual - wasn’t clicking and we struggled to break them down.

Eventually, after pressure forced by us, we got over with Ash Handley at the corner. In the second-half I felt we dominated large parts, not really giving Huddersfield much opportunity and we capitalised with another three tries.

Nene Macdonald seems to be Mr Consistency with another big performance, James McDonnell, Cameron Smith and Tom Holroyd were brilliant and Sam Lisone had a good stint off the bench.

It was a huge win against a really good Huddersfield side. We need to build on it and put a convincing performance on a struggling Hull FC on Friday.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

In a game of two halves, Leeds Rhinos overcame Huddersfield Giants in a very even contest on Sunday evening, Jake Connor’s missed conversion being the final decider between the two teams.

The first-half left me fearing the worst. We were too soft in defence, made too many errors and didn’t look up to the fight, as we have seen in previous weeks.

Injuries to key players meant Rhyse Martin and Nene Macdonald played out of position and it hurt the team going forward in the first 40. Going into half-time only 13-4 down was a blessing as it could have been so much worse.

Whatever Rohan Smith says to the team at half-time clearly works as, once again, we came out a different beast in the second-half. While not as silky as the second 40 against Catalans, it was a vast improvement and we managed to see the game out.

A few more kicks on the board and we would have been comfortably in front, but Leeds never like to do it the easy way.

One big positive for me was getting 80 minutes out of Ash Handley. A safe pair of hands and an excellent try scorer, I was pleased to see that we were trying to get the ball out to him as much as we could, even if it only came off once.

A fully-fit back line for Leeds would strike fear into any team and I hope we get to see it sooner rather than later.

We have seen glimpses of how good this Rhinos side can be and when we produce an 80-minute performance, I fear for the team we will be facing. It could be against Hull this Friday, a team who are not in form and one we should be punishing.

We have been too inconsistent this season and need to start putting together a good run of results if we are to win anything.

SAM BROCKSOM

The boys sure know how to give us all heart palpitations, don’t they? The game was very similar to the win over Catalans. We start poor, then have to battle with ourselves to find some confidence before we can battle the opposition.

One man who deserves a lot of credit again is Nene Macdonald. To put in such an immense

performance whilst fasting is an incredible achievement. When we announced his signing I was a little dubious, however he has happily proved me wrong.

James McDonnell likewise, that’s two tries in two games for him now. I wouldn’t be sad if he and Morgan Gannon were our back-rowers for years to come.

With the way our form is, I have no idea how the Hull FC game will go on Friday. They’ve already beaten us this season, but with their recent form it should be an easy win.

Hopefully Sunday’s win will finally get the ball rolling and we can start playing for the full 80 minutes, not just the second-half. Could a victory mean Rohan seals the sacking of his uncle?