It was a difficult evening for Rohan Smith and Leeds Rhinos as they lost out 34-8 to Warrington Wolves in round seven of the Betfred Super League.

Harry Newman and Luis Roberts got the Rhinos on the board at the start of both halves, but Sam Burgess’ Wolves put the game to bed with three unanswered tries in the second half.

Team News

The Rhinos handed a first Super League appearance to Ned McCormack as the young winger came in onto the bench for Rohan Smith’s side. Justin Sangare’s suspension from the Castleford win saw the French international drop out of the side for Tom Holroyd, who came in as a straight swap.

James McDonnell moved into the back row with James Bentley out too, whilst Harry Newman was available, despite missing the second half with a cut lip against the Tigers.

Warrington were forced into changes after losing Zane Musgrove and Joe Philbin to HIA’s during the week, and Paul Vaughan was unavailable with a two-game suspension. In their place, Joe Bullock was selected to partner James Harrison at prop, and Jordy Crowther and Matty Nicholson came into the back row. Head coach Sam Burgess also changed his centres as Stefan Ratchford and Connor Wrench were both selected in place of Toby King and Roderick Tai.

On the Wolves bench, Joe Bullock returned to the team for the first time since the win over London in round five, and Adam Holroyd dropped out of the starting 13 that lost to the Dragons the week before. Max Wood, who was recalled from a loan spell with Bradford, also made the bench too.

1st Half

Although Leeds took it to the Wolves in the opening stages of the game, it was the visitors to AMT Headingley that took the most out of the first half with three tries.

Tom Holroyd looked to set Leeds up for an attacking set as he got a hold of the ball from a loose Warrington carry, only for referee Aaron Smith to pull the prop up for illegally stripping the ball. Camped on the Rhinos try line though, the Wolves couldn’t make Leeds budge.

The home side were rewarded for their efforts as Harry Newman opened the scoring on nine minutes. Getting a repeat set after good pressure from Ash Handley led to Josh Thewlis dropping Matt Frawley’s high bomb, the Rhinos kept the pressure on the Warrington line as Newman beat Stefan Ratchford in the air to latched onto Frawley’s kick and planted the ball down to get the scoring underway.

Four minutes later, a huge opening should have seen Handley go the length of the field as the winger intercepted a lazy pass from Matt Dufty. Having sprinted 90 metres of the field though, the winger was agonisingly stopped metres short of the line as Matty Ashton got back to catch the Leeds man.

The Wolves started to come to life in the latter stages of the half; Matty Nicholson scoring the first of three tries. Off the back of Luis Roberts missing a high kick, George Williams and Matt Dufty combined to send Nicholson through the attempted tackles of Ash Handley and Paul Momirovski to touch down.

With Holroyd out of action due to a HIA in the first 15 minutes, the Rhinos took a blow when Ash Handley came from the field. Keeping their resolve, Leeds continued to pressure the Wolves, but to no reward as Williams sliced his way through to give the Wire the lead with ten minutes left in the half.

A tough half concluded with Warrington’s third try, scored by Joe Bullock as the prop hit a hole and rounded the attempted tackle of Leeds substitute Sam Lisone to cross the try line, taking the half time score to 16-4 at the break.

2nd Half

The opening ten minutes of the second half could have thrown the game wide open as Leeds looked to mount a comeback. With a little under three minutes played in the new half, a clever kick from Brodie Croft in behind the Warrington defence sat up perfectly for Roberts to crash on to, making the score 16-8; Lachie Miller missing the conversion.

Try number two beckoned for the home side too as Paul Momirovski looked certain to have scored. Playing across the Warrington line with Croft, Miller and Frawley, Miller dabbed a kick for Momirovski to chase and although he looked to be pulled back by Thewlis, the centre managed to catch the bouncing ball and score. On further inspection by video referee Tom Grant though, it was judged that the Leeds man had gone to ground before promoting the ball over the line, equating to a double movement.

The game remained on a knifes edge, but the Wolves managed to protect their try line well enough to reap the rewards at the opposite end of the field. Leeds had introduced Ned McCormack into the action for his debut, but no sooner had the 19-year old come onto the field, the Rhinos were gathering together under the posts as Danny Walker squirmed out of dummy half to touch down.

The final ten minutes saw the Wolves secure the two points with two further tries. Full back Dufty found a hole on the right edge of Leeds’ defence to get his seventh try of the season, before Croft had a pass picked off by Thewlis, who sealed the 34-8 result.

Next Up

Next week sees a break in fixtures for Leeds as it’s Challenge Cup quarter final weekend. The Rhinos are then in action on Friday 19^th April as the club’s Armed Forces celebration sees both the men’s and women’s side take on Huddersfield Giants. Lois Forsell’s side kick off their Betfred Women’s Super League campaign against the Giants at 5.30pm, before Rohan Smith leads the Rhinos out in round eight of the Betfred Super League.

Match Facts

Rhinos

1. Lachlan Miller, 24. Luis Roberts, 3. Harry Newman, 4. Paul Momirovski, 5. Ash Handley, 6. Brodie Croft, 7. Matt Frawley, 8. Mikolaj Oledzki, 9. Andy Ackers, 10. Tom Holroyd, 16. James McDonnell , 12. Rhyse Martin, 13. Cameron Smith

Subs: 15. Sam Lisone, 31. Ned McCormack, 14. Jarrod O’Connor, 18. Mickael Goudemand (18^th Man – 29. Alfie Edgell)

Tries: Newman (9), Roberts (44)

Goals: Martin 0/1, Miller 0/1

Wolves

1. Matt Dufty, 2. Josh Thewlis, 20. Connor Wrench, 4. Stefan Ratchford (C), 5. Matty Ashton, 6. George Williams, 18. Leon Hayes, 8. James Harrison, 9. Danny Walker, 17. Jordy Crowther, 13. Matty Nicholson, 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 11. Ben Currie

Subs: 32. Sam Powell, 19. Joe Bullock, 28. Adam Holroyd, 34. Max Wood (18^th Man - 29. Tom Whitehead)

Tries: Nicholson (17), Williams (30), Bullock (36), Walker (65), Dufty (72), Thewlis (77)

Goals: Ratchford 5/6

Referee: Aaron Moore