A tough evening at AMT Headingley Stadium left Leeds Rhinos Under-18s Academy searching for their first win of 2024 as they were defeated 34-18 by Wigan Warriors Under-18s.

The young Rhinos kept the game in the balance as they went only six points behind at the break, but three second half tries from the Warriors saw them take home the win, despite going down to twelve players twice.

1st Half

Although they looked to take the game to Wigan in the opening stages, Leeds quickly found themselves behind the eight-ball when Finlay Yeoman’s crossed after four minutes. In a game that saw the Rhinos punished for their errors, a high tackle from Joe Butterfield set up Wigan close to the Leeds try line and Yeomans managed to fend out of the tackles of Marcus Qareqare and Harry Smith to get the ball down.

Although a knock on from Kian McDermott gave Leeds an opening, the Rhinos couldn’t make the possession count as Joe Diskin was caught with ball in hand on the last tackle. The full back was at fault again shortly after as he was unable to take Jack Farrimond’s high kick, and two plays later Harlen Smith was put over in the corner to make the score 12-0 after 13 minutes.

Luck finally swung the way of the home side when Jacob Stead found the try line to put the Rhinos back in the game. Fergus McCormack was instrumental in gaining a repeat set as his kick for the posts caught Austin Daniel in his own in-goal, before Leeds made the pressure count as Presley Cassell posted Stead through a hole to score.

No sooner had the young Rhinos scored though, Wigan extended their lead again; Taylor Kerr bulldozing his way over to take the score to 18-6. The Warriors kept the Rhinos under their thumb with big chances going to waste; particularly when Jack Purtill’s pass didn’t land cleanly on the chest of Josh Cartwright.

As a reward for the pressure they endured, a flicker of light for the Rhinos saw substitute Jayemm Oladipupo get over to close the score line with half time approaching. Working the ball well in Wigan’s half of the field, a move saw Callum Webster come off his wing, cut across the field and find an offload for Whittingham, who couldn’t release Millington. The Rhinos did well to hold onto the ball though as they found the chink in Wigan’s armour to put Oladipupo over. Harley Thomas converted to make the score 18-12.

The end of the half was full of drama as the visitors looked for all money to have scored through Reece Rowcroft on the last play of the game, but great defence from Mason Corbett held his opposite number up over the line. The action didn’t stop there, as Leo Wadsworth was sent to the sin bin for holding Diskin back as the Leeds man tried to quickly tap the ball, meaning the visitors would play the start of the second half with 12 players.

2nd Half

Much like the first half, a spirited run from Oladipupo gave Leeds a spritely return to the action, but the Warriors proved clinical in front of the try line. Kerr rode the tackle of Bobby Hartley and kept his legs moving to score his second to take the lead to 12 points.

 Wigan’s Smith almost bagged himself two tries as well, only for Webster to intervene as the winger tried to ground the ball. As they found themselves back up to 13 again, a strong run from Lukas Mason gave the Warriors room to breath on the scoreboard as the back rower broke through Diskin’s tackle to score.

The Rhinos’ sole response of the half came through prop Joe Phillips in a tough second 40 minutes for the home side. Desperate to find a score, Leeds punched holes in the Wigan defence to no reward, until Cassell proved creator again as his pass send Phillips over with 18 minutes left.

Tensions boiled over as the two sides came together after Leeds forced another drop out from the side in cherry and white. In the aftermath, referee Logan Miles sent both Leeds’ Thomas and Wigan’s Dylan Kelly-Duffy to the sin bin, meaning both sides would fight the remainder of the game out a man down, but the Warriors ensured that they put the game to bed. Breaks downfield from Cartwright and Farrimond put their side in striking range, and on the last tackle, a cross field kick was allowed to bounce before being batted back into the arms of Yeomans, who got his second of the game.

Farrimond couldn’t convert, but the contest was already over; the Rhinos going down 34-18 at full time.

Match Facts

Rhinos U18s

1. Joe Diskin, 2. Callum Webster, 3. Harley Thomas, 4. Marcus Qareqare, 5. Dax Millington, 6. Fergus McCormack, 7. Harry Smith, 8. Joe Phillips, 9. Alex Cowley, 10. Joe Butterfield, 11. Jacob Stead, 12. Noah Whittingham, 13. Presley Cassell

Subs: 14. Mason Corbett, 15. Jayemm Oladipupo, 16. Lore Jones-Buchanan, 17. Bobby Hartley (18^th Man – Dylan Hutchinson)

Tries: Stead (16), Oladipupo (29), Phillips (62)

Goals: Thomas 3/3

Sin Bin: Thomas (69) - Fighting

Wigan Warriors U18s

1. Austin Daniel, 2. Harlen Smith, 3. Finlay Yeomans, 4. Josh Cartwright, 5. Jaiden Drachenberg, 6. Charlie Yeomans, 7. Jack Farrimond, 8. Kalum Rathbone, 9. Jack Purtill, 10. Kian McDermott, 11. Trent Kelly-Duffy, 12. Lukas Mason, 13. Taylor Kerr

Subs: 14. Reece Rowcroft, 15. Leo Wadsworth, 16. Jack Bibey, 17. Dylan Kelly-Duffy

Tries: Yeomans (4,70), Smith (11), Kerr (20, 44), Mason (54)

Goals: Farrimond 5/6

Sin Bin: Leo Wadsworth (39) – Professional Foul, Dylan Kelly-Duffy (69) - Fighting