On paper this was the game of the round, Leeds Rhinos in fourth spot in the table approaching the halfway stage against promoted side Wakefield Trinity who are currently in sixth with both sides coming into the game on the back of three game unbeaten streaks.

The home side were favourites with the bookies to take a game which marked a year since the passing of Leeds super star Rob Burrow, and they were handicapped by eight points for a game which would be used to recognise motor neurone disease (MND), a cause close to the Rhinos hearts.

A win would take the Rhinos back ahead of Leigh and into the third spot that they relinquished last night to the Leopards, a win for Wakefield would elevate them to fourth, pushing the Rhinos back into fifth on points difference.

It had been coming for a little while when the Rhinos opened the scoring , Harry Newman spectacularly taking a pinpoint Jake Connor chip to the goal line to spin over the line and ground. Connor added a simple conversion to put his side six up after ten minutes.

Leeds were on a roll and went in again on twenty-two after some great passages of play down the centre of the field. Connor was the man on hand to take the pass and step through the defensive line and score under the sticks. He converted his own try for a 12-0 lead.

Wakefield, however, weren’t going to lie down and on twenty-four they prised their way back into the game, Lachlan Walmsley outpacing the Leeds defence down the right side and grounding in the corner. Max Jowitt added the touchline conversion, the Leeds lead down to six points.

After a six-again the Rhinos gave the ball plenty of air in the Wakefield ten, finally making its way wide left for Riley Lumb to take a walk-in try in the corner. Conner converted from the touchline with the assistance of the upright for a twelve-point lead.

A late tackle on kicker Brodie Croft by Jowitt gave Connor a simple penalty to extend the lead and with seconds left of the clock Connor hit a further penalty kick between the uprights for a 22-6 and three score lead at the interval, and very good value for that lead after a scintillating first forty.

But the game was about to deliver the proverbial game of two halves.

Against the run of play it was Wakefield who got the first points of the second half, Jowitt chasing his own grubber into goal and collecting to ground. Jowitt added the conversion, and the margin was down to just eight points.

Wakefield were back within six points of the Rhinos on sixty-four when Corey Hall broke the Rhinos line down the right before finding Jowitt in support inside, the Trinity scrum half cantering home from twenty metres. Jowitt added the conversion for 18-22, game back on with fifteen minutes remaining. Now the Rhinos nerves were being tested.

James Bentley was sin-binned on seventy-eight to add to the Rhinos growing nerves but in a frantic few seconds at the end of the game Wakefield failed to find their way over the whitewash for the winning try and the Rhinos held on for the win.

It had been an excellent second half fightback from Wakefield as the Rhinos had no response to their onslaught and fightback. The loss of Lachie Miller, who had been inspirational in the first half, was definitely an issue for Leeds but they were clearly second best on the second forty.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hall, Newman (T), Handley, Lumb (T), Connor (T, G 5/5), Croft, Oledzki, O’Connor, Palasia, Bentley (SB on 78), McDonnell, Watkins. Subs: Holroyd, Lisone, Jenkins, Smith. 18^th Man: Gannon.

Wakefield Trinity: Rourke, Walmsley (T), Hall, Pratt, Johnstone, Jowitt (2T, G 3/3), Lino, McMeeken, Hood, Faatili, Nikiotimo, Griffin, Pitts. Subs: Scott, Vagana, Cozza, Smith. 18^th Man: Croft.

Half-Time: 22-6.

Full-Time: 20-18.  

Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 12-4, 12-6, 16-6, 18-6, 20-6, 22-6 : HT: 22-10, 22-12, 22-16, 22-18, (SB) :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Leeds.

Referee: Chris Kendall.