Leeds Rhinos 28 Huddersfield Giants 6

By Charlie O'Brien

Kallum Watkins stole the show with a try in his comeback game as Leeds Rhinos secured a 28-6 victory over bottom of the table Huddersfield Giants.
Tries for five different Leeds players powered them to victory after a frustrating first half saw goals disallowed and strong positions spurned for the hosts.
Brad Arthur made two changes to the staring thirteen that emerged comfortable victors at Salford last week, with Mikolaj Oledzki, serving a one-match ban, replaced by Tom Holroyd. James Bentley dropped to the bench, with Morgan Gannon Starting. Watkins was made to wait for his first start for the Rhinos since 2019.

Leeds were penned back in the first five minutes but began to assert their dominance after kicking the ball past the halfway line. The best chance of the first ten minutes fell to Cooper Jenkins, who seemed destined to score, but slipped around five metres from the goal line.
Leeds continued to probe, and the thirteenth minute saw the first of a string of disallowed tries, all adjudged no try on the field by referee Jack Smith and corroborated by VR James Vella. Morgan Gannon forced his way to the goal line despite the best efforts of five Huddersfield players but was unable to ground the ball.

Two minutes later Lachie Miller put through Keenan Palasia who touched down, but it was chalked off for a forward pass from the Australian. Leeds had another disallowed on the 19-minute mark, after Ryan Hall burst through the Giants backline but was determined to have run behind one of his players.
Huddersfield’s injury woes continued as utility player Liam Sutcliffe was forced off, replaced by super league debutant Jack Billington.
It was then the Giant’s turn to see a try chalked off. Against the run of play, Sam Hewitt broke the Rhinos line before smart interplay between Flanagan, Halsall and Bibby, resulted in a kick to Halsall, who was unable to ground the ball.

The deadlock was finally broken on 32 minutes when James Bentley managed to offload the ball close to the halfway line before Huddersfield could complete the tackle, with Harry Newman freeing Miller to dance through the Giants backline and score just to the right of the posts. Miller then finished the job himself, converting the kick.

Rhinos’ fans were raucous as the conversion was immediately followed by the return of former captain Watkins, making his second debut for Leeds exactly 17 years to the day since his first. In stark contrast, Giants academy graduate Archie Sykes followed him on for a second super league debut of the match for the depleted visitors.

The struggling Giants were committed in defence but sloppy in possession. Leeds were rightly patient but also succumbed to moments of poor quality in attack and arguably should have had more than a six-point advantage at the half-time hooter.

If Watkins’ appearance on the pitch had Leeds fans excited, the first action of the second half had them in raptures. Leeds’ new number 28 took just 12 minutes back on the AMT Headingley pitch to leave his mark, dancing past two defenders and touching down just left of the posts after a short pass from Bentley. Leeds’ main man Miller made no mistake from close range once more, to put Leeds 12 points to the good.

In similar fashion to last week’s win over Salford, an early second half burst put right a frustrating first forty. The next try came in the 54th minute after a cross kick on the last from Connor was eventually gathered by a soaring Ash Handley.

A tiring Huddersfield began to wilt as Leeds managed to develop dangerous opportunities from further and further back, with sharp interplay between McDonnell and Connor culminating in a flick pass from last week’s four-try hero to put through the utility back for another try.
Just five minutes later it was the turn of Ryan Hall, who managed to squeeze into the far right of the goal line following quick play and another incisive pass from Harry Newman. Faced with a tough wide kick, Miller fluffed his line for the first and only time in the match.

Huddersfield were not to be denied a consolation as Tom Burgess was released by a smart pass to score, followed by a conversion from George Flanagan Jr. However, it was not enough to take the sheen off another big win for the Rhinos and a triumphant return for Watkins.

Teams
Rhinos
1. Lachie Miller, 5. Ryan Hall, 3. Harry Newman, 4. Ash Handley, 23. Riley Lumb, 18. Jake Connor, 7;. Matt Frawley, 17. Cooper Jenkins, 14. Jarred O’Connor, 19. Tom Holroyd, 12. James McDonnell, 16. Morgan Gannon, 10. Keenan Palasia
Subs: 20. Jack Sinfield, 15. Sam Lisone, 11. James Bentley, 28. Kallum Watkins
Tries: Miller, Watkins, Handley, Connor, Hall
Goals: Miller (4)

Huddersfield
24. Aidan Mcgowan, 5. Sam Halsall, 3. Jake Bibby, 4. Liam Sutcliffe, 28. Connor Carr, 1. Jacob Gagai, 29. George Flanagan Jr., 23. Taane Milne, 17. Joe Greenwood, 12. Sam Hewitt, 10. Thomas Burgess, 14. Ashton Golding, 8. Oliver Wilson
Subs: 32. Jacob Algar, 33. Archie Sykes, 30. Jack Bibby, 25. Jack Billington
Tries: Burgess
Goals: Flanagan J