One of the two remaining Super League one-hundred-percenters, the Catalans Dragons, took on a Round Six trip to Emerald Headingley to take on a Leeds Rhinos side who suffered defeat at the hands of Castleford Tigers last weekend as they continued their indifferent start to the new campaign.
A win by forty-seven points or more would lift the Dragons above Warrington on points difference and into top spot in the table, while a win by forty points or more would see the Rhinos above Hull KR and into fourth spot. In reality, neither winning margin was likely.
The Dragons were slight favourites with the bookies, but they were struggling to find much difference between the two sides, the Rhinos only getting a measly two-point start on the handicap coupon.
There were only three minutes on the clock when the Dragons opened the scoring, Tom Davies taking the pass five from the Leeds line and launching himself to ground in the corner with most of his body airborne over the touchline. Adam Keighran added the conversion from the touchline for a 6-0 start to silence the decent home crowd.
Some imaginative play from the Rhinos saw them progress the length of the field over a set of six with Cameron Smith putting in a final flighted pass to Harry Newman to slide over in the right corner. Rhyse Martin was wide of the far post with his kick, Leeds still two points adrift.
On twelve Rhyse Martin scored a wonder try as he picked up a loose ball thirty from the Dragons line, put in a grubber which he chased himself and forced onto the ground on the try line for a sensational four points. The Rhinos stand in centre put his conversion attempt short of the sticks, his side two points ahead, but the wind in the Rhinos faces causing some issues with the boot.
On fifteen Nene MacDonald went for the line but put a hand in touch a split second before he grounded, the video referee agreeing with the on-field official in ruling out the try.
On twenty-two a great flighted pass from Tyrone May put Keighran over down the left side to dive over the line. Keighran pushed his kick wide of the near upright, the Dragons with a two point advantage.
MacDonald lost the ball in the tackle on his own ten metres line on twenty-six and on the fourth tackle Mitchell Pearce forced the ball onto the ground by the right upright to extend the Dragons lead. Keighran added the extras for 16-8 to the visitors, McNamara´s side riding their luck.
Leeds had a try ruled out on thirty-four after a Richie Myler forward pass to Zane Tetevno when the rhinos had a four on two overlap.
A Leeds brain explosion on their own line, an attempted offload to prevent a goal-line dropout, went to Dragons hands with Paul Séguir picking up the loose ball and dropping over the line. Keighran added the conversion and despite it being a close competition the visitors had a 22-8 lead at the interval.
Leeds problems were compounded on forty-five When Newman was sin-binned for dissent to referee Liam Moore. The Rhinos their own worst enemies.
A great break from Blake Austin, swatting away the Dragons tacklers, allowed him to the Dragons twenty. Leeds played the ball fast and with a neat one-two, Richie Myler found the space to run in from ten metres to dive in for a much needed Leeds try for the twelve men. Martin couldn´t add the extras, the Rhinos still ten adrift.
On fifty-four, and still down a man, the Rhinos went in again as Jarrod O´Connor scooted from acting half back into a massive gap in the Dragons defence for the Rhinos fourth try. This time Martin hit the posts, four failures from four attempts, and Leeds were still six adrift.
On fifty-nine Newman went over in the right corner but a great tackle from Matt Whitley saw the Rhinos centre put a foot into touch before grounding.
Mike McMeeken spilled the ball in the tackle on the halfway line and after Derrell Olpherts picked up the loose ball he put Blake Austin free to break down the wing before finding the supporting Olpherts who took the pass and rounded towards the post to score. Martin missed his fifth consecutive conversion attempt and Leeds were still two points adrift with eighteen minutes remaining.
Austin kicked a 40-20 on sixty-five and two tackles into the set a delightful, delayed pass from Austin found Tom Holroyd running the angle to go through a gap to score. Aidan Sezer took over the kicking duties and floated his kick between the uprights.
The Rhinos sealed the win on seventy-four when Richie Myler picked up a poor Catalans kick on his own line and made it to the Dragons forty before finding Newman in support to dive over under the sticks. Martin was finally on target and the Rhinos had a ten-point lead with four minutes remaining.
The Rhinos outscored the league leading Dragons by seven tries to four and inflicted the first defeat of the season on the French side who now drop two points behind the league leaders. This was a sensational fightback from the home side who appeared out of the game at the interval when they trailed by 22-8 but they kept their opponents pointless in the second half, ten minutes of it with twelve men. The Rhinos are up to seventh but most important for them will be the confidence that they will take from this fightback win and twenty-four unanswered second half points.
Leeds Rhinos: Myler (T), Fusitu´a, Newman (2T, SB on 45), Martin (T, G), MacDonald, Austin, Sezer (G), Holroyd (T), O´Connor (T), Walters, McDonnell, Tetevano, Smith. Subs: Johnson, Lisone, Sangare, Olpherts (T). 18th Man: Donaldson.
Catalans Dragons: Mourgue, Johnstone, Romano, Keighran (T, 3G), Davies (T), Pearce (T), May, McMeeken, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, Ma´u, Garcia. Subs: Da Costa, Goudemand, Séguier (T), Dezaria. 18th Man: Chan.
Half-Time: 8-22.
Full-Time: 32-22.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 8-6, 8-10, 8-14, 8-16, 8-20, 8-22 : HT : (SB), 12-22, 16-22, 20-22, 24-22, 26-22, 30-22, 32-22 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Catalans – Leeds – Catalans - Leeds.
Referee: Liam Moore.
