These are certainly not the nights where the silverware is handed out, but they are the ones where you tend to learn plenty about who are the contenders, and who perhaps are not.
It is hard to believe Leeds Rhinos are approaching 10 years since their last Super League title. Last champions in 2017, the Rhinos’ previous trophy of any kind was all the way back in 2020 – and that was behind closed doors, when they defeated Salford to win the Challenge Cup inside an empty Wembley at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But as the midway point of this season approaches, Leeds are exactly where many felt they should be: at the Super League summit. June always looked and felt like a pivotal month for Brad Arthur’s side, with games against Warrington, Hull KR and this showdown with St Helens.
Incredibly, Leeds had not beaten the Saints, their great rivals from the Grand Finals of the late-2000s and early-2010s, at home since all the way back in 2017. Perhaps this result, then, is an omen for how well placed the Rhinos are to finally secure a record-extending 11th Super League title come October.
It was not easy, and Leeds certainly weren’t at their best. But in the end they did what all champion sides do and something they have failed to do too much of late: they found a way to win. Trailing 16-8 at half-time, the prospect of a 10th consecutive loss at home to the Saints was firmly on the cards.
But with another outstanding performance from Jake Connor at the heart of it, Leeds nilled the Saints in the second half and Maika Sivo’s late try proved to be the decisive one, as the Rhinos opened up a two-point lead at the top. “I’m very pleased that we got the result,” Arthur said. “I don’t think we were great, we were good but not great.”
There is no doubting that this would have been another home loss to the Saints without Connor’s second-half heroics. Everything he did turned to proverbial gold, and he once again underlined why it would be beyond belief if he was omitted for England again at the end of the year in the Rugby League World Cup.
“It would have been nice if I could have got my hands on him when he was 25,” Arthur said of the half-back. “I’m so proud of him. His composure won us that game tonight.” Connor kicked Leeds into an early lead and it was his assist for Chris Hankinson’s try that put the Rhinos 8-6 up, but the better moments in attack belonged to the Saints in the first half.
They scored tries through Kyle Feldt, Tristan Sailor and Alex Walmsley to lead by eight points at the break, but they will view this as a missed opportunity to go top. While Leeds appear to be improving, there are doubts over the Saints – with their best lineup in the spine quite obviously unclear, just as it was last year.
“There’s a way of winning and a way of losing and if you’re going to lose, that’s a better way than our previous defeat,” their coach, Paul Rowley, said. The Saints struggled to gain a foothold after the break, and with Connor pulling the strings, Leeds squeezed the life out of them. Harry Newman’s try coupled with two goals from the boot of the Connor levelled it by the hour mark.
The momentum was with Leeds and when the Saints prop David Klemmer was sent to the sin-bin for a needless late hit with seven minutes to go, it firmly swung thing Leeds’ way. Connor – who else – produced the perfect pass for Sivo to cross in the corner, and he nervelessly converted from the touchline to make it a two-score game and win the contest.
