Unwanted history for Leeds Rhinos

Rhinos are reeling from back-to-back one-point defeats having lost 9-8 at home to Wigan Warriors and 19-18 at Hull in the space of seven days.

It is the first time, since rugby league began in 1895, Leeds have suffered successive losses by a single point.

Five of Leeds’ last six games have been decided by two points or fewer.

Leeds have lost 25-24 to Castleford Tigers, drawn 22-22 with Huddersfield Giants, beaten Salford Red Devils 20-0 and Wakefield Trinity 28-26 before the successive one-point losses.

The closest they have come to back-to-back one-point defeats in the Super League era was in 2004 when they were beaten 25-24 by Hull in the Challenge Hull Cup final and lost a league game 24-22 to Wigan the following weekend.

In 1997 Iestyn Harris made his debut in a 17-16 home loss to Wigan. In the following game Rhinos beat St Helens 13-12, but only after Bobbie Goulding had missed a conversion attempt, from in front of the posts, which would have given the visitors a one-point victory.

Leeds did lose back-to-back league games in October, 1912 - six months after Titanic sank, though the two incidents are not believed to be related - to Hunslet (6-5) and Hull (3-2), but they were separated by a 19-8 win over Bramley in the Yorkshire Cup.

In 1992 Leeds lost 17-16 at Wakefield and 15-14 to St Helens in a Regal Trophy tie two weeks later, but beat Widnes in the meantime.

That was during a period of close matches, with the Saints result being followed by a 22-19 loss at Hull and a 12-12 draw at Leigh.

In 1948, Leeds lost 11-10 at Hunslet in the Lazenby Cup, drew 7-7 against Bramley in their next game and were then beaten 11-10 at Leigh.

In the 1966-67 season Leeds recorded three successive one-point victories, against Hull (9-8), Bradford Northern (10-9) and Featherstone Rovers (13-12).