A hat-trick from Alfie Edgell led Leeds Rhinos to a 42-6 win over Salford Red Devils in Round 19 of the Betfred Super League, as the Rhinos overcame a tough opening 40 minutes to claim their 12th win of the season.

Edgell’s two first-half tries were the only bright spots in an otherwise frustrating spell for Leeds, but they responded in style after the break with five second-half tries — including a first club score for Cooper Jenkins.

With injuries to Mikolaj Oledzki and Tom Holroyd confirmed earlier in the week, Presley Cassell became the latest academy talent to make his senior debut after being named on the bench by head coach Brad Arthur. The 18-year-old West Bowling junior has been one of the standout performers for Chev Walker’s Under-18s and Reserves sides this season and earned his chance against the Red Devils. There were also two changes in the pack, with Keenan Palasia replacing Oledzki at prop, James Bentley moving from the bench into the second row, and Kallum Watkins leading the line at loose forward.

A frustrating first half saw the Rhinos establish a 10-0 lead thanks to tries from Alfie Edgell, but the visiting Red Devils asked plenty of the home side as they came into the game off the back of their second win of the season last time out.

Leeds looked to have first points in the opening minutes of the game as a kick from Jake Connor was batted off the hands of Ash Handley into the path of former Red Devil Kallum Watkins, who dotted down under the posts. The try was denied by the video referee as the ball was judged to have gone forward off of Handley before Watkins intervened.

Ryan Hall was unlucky to not keep hold of a bullet pass from Brodie Croft as another chance went begging, but a chance for Chris Hankinson jolted the home side into life. After defending a full set on their own line, only for centre Hankinson to come up short, the Rhinos carried the ball down the length of the field before moving wide to Edgell, who finished brilliantly in the corner.

A second Edgell try in a matter of minutes seemingly put the Rhinos in a strong position to kick on for the rest of the half, but instead the game switched in favour of Salford. Ryan Brierley got a score back for the visitors as he took an offload from Jack Ormondroyd and chipped a ball ahead to chase. As he grounded in the in-goal, referee Liam Rush opted to send the decision to the video referee who gave the try the green light, although it looked like the ball had touched the dead ball line.

With the game poised on a knifes edge in the last ten minutes, Salford had two chances chalked off by good defence and an obstruction call. Ethan Ryan looked set to score in the corner, but brilliant defence from Connor denied the Red Devils winger, and Declan Murphy also looked like he’d scored the equaliser, only for the video referee to judge that there was an obstuctiion in the build up to the full back making the break, sending the teams into half time with the Rhinos ahead by four points.

The second period proved more fruitful for Brad Arthur’s side, who recorded 32 unanswered points to ensure they saw off the Red Devils challenge and get the home crowd on their feet.

Lachie Miller and Jake Connor combined to send the Leeds full back through the attempted tackles of Salford defenders to get Leeds the breakthrough after five minutes, before Connor extended the lead to ten points with a penalty goal.

A yellow card for Matty Foster for a late hit on Brodie Croft proved to be the catalyst for the Red Devil’s second half struggles as Leeds made sure to make the most of the extra man whilst Foster was in the sin bin. Moments after the second rower had left the field, quick hands got the ball out to Edgell, who sealed his hat trick with a straightforward finish. Harry Newman also got in on the try scoring as the Rhinos kept the ball alive with Connor and Handley, who flicked a pass off the floor to the onrushing Newman to grab and score.

On 59 minutes, the crowd rose to applaud the introduction of Presley Cassell as the forward entered the attack, and they stayed standing as James McDonnell took a short pass from Brodie Croft to barrel through the Red Devils defence to take the score to 36-6, along with Connor’s conversion.

Even when Foster returned to the action, Leeds continued their search for points to put the game beyond Salford and they did just that in the last five minutes. Off the back of a 40/20 kick from Connor that camped the Rhinos on their opposition try line, it was only a matter of time before they found the breakthrough, which proved to be Cooper Jenkins as the prop crashed over the line for his first try for the club to seal a 42-6 result and get the Rhinos back to winning ways.

Teams

Rhinos

1. Lachie Miller, 21. Alfie Edgell, 4. Ash Handley (CC), 3. Harry Newman, 5. Ryan Hall, 6. Brodie Croft, 18. Jake Connor, 10. Keenan Palasia, 14. Jarrod O’Connor, 17. Cooper Jenkins, 11. James Bentley , 12. James McDonnell, 28. Kallum Watkins

Subs: 13. Cameron Smith (CC), 9. Andy Ackers, 15. Sam Lisone, 29. Presley Cassell (18^th Man – 30. George Brown)

Tries: Edgell (19, 25, 53), Miller (45), Newman (58), McDonnell (60), Jenkins (75)

Goals: Connor 7/8

Red Devils

57. Declan Murphy, 2. Ethan Ryan, 52. Dan Russell, 23. Chris Hankinson, 28. Nathan Connell, 1. Ryan Brierley (C), 44. Oliver Russell, 18. Jack Ormondroyd, 9. Joe Mellor, 10. Chris Hill, 53. Tom Whitehead, 22. Matty Foster, 13. Joe Shorrocks

Subs: 27. Kai Morgan, 24. Harvey Wilson, 29. Charlie Glover, 30. Tiaki Chan (18^th Man – 50. Toby Warren)

Tries: Brierley (26)

Goals: Hankinson 1/1

Sin Bin: Foster (51 – Late Contact)