A dominant performance, led by Man of the Match Jake Connor, saw Leeds Rhinos topple league leaders Hull KR 28-6 at AMT Headingley.

Three first-half tries from Connor, Presley Cassell and Lachie Miller gave Leeds a firm foothold in the game, before Harry Newman’s second-half score and two penalties from the boot of Connor sealed the Rhinos’ third win over the Robins in 2025.

Brad Arthur named an unchanged matchday squad from the side that beat Castleford last time out, with the only switch seeing Jarrod O’Connor start at hooker while Andy Ackers moved to the bench. Presley Cassell and Ben Littlewood retained their places after impressing against the Tigers, while Chris Hankinson featured for the third time since joining the club.

An almost perfect first half for the home side might have started very differently as Lachie Miller came under scrutiny from the video referee, who judged him to have taken out Hull KR full back Arthur Mourgue while chasing Jake Connor’s kick ahead. Fortunately for Leeds, Ash Handley’s captain’s challenge overturned the call, keeping Miller on the field — and the full back played his part in setting up the opener. After sustained pressure on the Robins’ defence, Connor spotted a gap and stepped through to score an exceptional try in what has been a standout season for the playmaker.

With AMT Headingley rocking, the noise lifted again when 18-year-old Cassell notched his second try in just three senior games for the club. Minutes after Connor’s opener, the Rhinos were back in range and, after Kallum Watkins’ kick rebounded off the post pads, Cassell reacted quickest to gather and ground the ball for another superb score.

Hull KR looked increasingly desperate, with loose passes from Tyrone May drifting into touch instead of finding winger Tom Davies, while Leeds were ruthless at the other end. When Ryan Hall intercepted and released Harry Newman downfield, the attack shifted quickly and Miller sliced through a gaping hole in the Robins’ line to extend the lead to 18-0 after half an hour.

Connor had the chance to add a drop goal just before half-time, but his effort drifted wide, leaving Leeds in complete control at 18-0 at the break.

Coming out for the second half, the Robins threw everything they had at the Rhinos for the opening 20 minutes, but the scoreboard remained unchanged. Joe Burgess looked certain to give the travelling fans something to cheer with a flying finish in the corner, only for the winger to lose the ball mid-air under pressure from Harry Newman. The Leeds centre almost undid his good work moments later when he offloaded inside his own in-goal area, but fate favoured the hosts as Lachie Miller beat Rhyse Martin to the grounding.

With Hull KR building momentum, Leeds turned to Connor’s composure as he slotted a penalty from close range to edge the score out to 20-0 with 15 minutes left.

Cassell came close to doubling his tally when he burst through a gap and charged to within metres of the line, but desperate defence stopped the youngster short. Leeds, however, didn’t waste their next chance: crisp, fast handling opened up space for Newman, who powered through to score a pivotal try that effectively sealed the contest.

Another penalty saw Connor add two more points to the Rhinos’ tally, but the clean sheet slipped away late on as Tom Davies crossed for the Robins before the final whistle. It proved nothing more than a consolation, though, as the Rhinos claimed a commanding 28-6 victory to strengthen their push for second place in the Super League table.

Teams

Rhinos

1. Lachie Miller, 31. Chris Hankinson, 3. Harry Newman, 4. Ash Handley, 5. Ryan Hall, 6. Brodie Croft, 18. Jake Connor, 10. Keenan Palasia, 14. Jarrod O’Connor, 29. Presley Cassell, 16. Morgan Gannon, 12. James McDonnell, 28. Kallum Watkins

Subs: 9. Andy Ackers, 11. James Bentley, 15. Sam Lisone, 24. Ben Littlewood (18^th Man – 32 Joe Shorrocks)

Tries: Connor (13), Cassell (17), Miller (21), Newman (71)

Goals: Connor 6/6

Robins

35. Arthur Mourgue, 2. Tom Davies, 3. Peta Hiku,18. Jack Broadbent , 5. Joe Burgess, 6. Mikey Lewis, 7. Tyrone May, 8. Sauaso Sue, 9. Jez Litten, 16. Jai Whitbread, 12. James Batchelor, 17. Rhyse Martin, 13. Elliot Minchella

Subs: 11. Dean Hadley, 15. Sam Luckley, 20. Kelepi Tanginoa, 24. Eribe Doro (18^th Man – 21. Jack Brown)

Tries: Davies (77)

Goals: Martin 1/1