There was last minute heartbreak for Tony Smith's Leeds Rhinos Reserve team over at Hull Kingston Rovers after a late drop goal from Jack Sinfield looked set to give his side a one point win. 

The Rhinos trailed at half time 18-14 but fought back after the break before Sinfield slotted over the drop goal with five minutes to go only for Rovers' Lennie Ellis to cross with the final play of the game to secure a 30-25 win for the Robins. 

Tony Smith’s reserves side headed to East Yorkshire after a mixed start to the season, starting with a tough defeat at Leigh, backed up by an impressive win at St Helens before a tough loss back on home soil against Warrington. 

The Rhinos took the initiative early on after only four minutes when forward Kieran Hudson broke the Hull KR line just past half way, with only the full back to beat he found centre Ned McCormack in support who took possession and raced the forty metres to score under the posts. The effort from Hudson would come at a cost however as he came off straight away with a hamstring injury. That certainly woke up the home side and for the rest of the game made it an interesting battle between the two sides.

Hull KR hit back minutes later when winger Mathieu Pons on trial with the Robins, took the ball on the right edge, with the Leeds winger only ahead of him, he managed to find enough space to dive over in the corner. Full back Gorman added the extras to level the score. 

Both sides then shared possession for the next few sets, but both struggled to complete their sets and often gave up possession after making an error. 

Leeds edged back in front midway through the first half through the individual effort of replacement hooker Shane Tuohey seeing enough space to go from dummy half inches from the Hull KR try line, it took an extra effort to get the ball down but the young hooker managed to get the ball down. 

Hull KR responded and Leeds were left with a tricky challenge having lost another player for the game when hooker Mason Corbett left the field and failing his HIA. The home side scored through centre Connor Barley after going himself from the play the ball found a way over. Rovers full back Gorman gave the home side a two point lead at 12-10.

Leeds hit back immediately with a great move, Sinfield switching from the right to the left catching the home side off guard offloading to Ned McCormack who took the ball to the line to pull in both defenders giving Kyden Frater an easy stroll into the corner. Leeds believed they had a two-point lead to take in to the half but Hull KR had other ideas. Winger Pons scored his second of the day in similar fashion to his first in the right corner, Gorman successful with the conversion made it 18-14 at half time.

The second half was a cagey affair but Leeds crossed first with a fantastic try. Back rower Ben Littlewood charging at the Hull KR defensive line and managing to get his ball carrying arm free to offload to Ned McCormack. With the defence ahead of him closing in, he produced a grubber kick and Rhinos full back Alfie Edgell was quickest to the ball to score the four pointer. Sinfield converted the try making it 20-18 to Leeds.

Ned McCormack extended Leeds’ advantage midway through the second half with halves Fergus McCormack and Jack Sinfield combining well to get the ball from the right edge to the left quickly allowing Ned to beat his opposite number with ease and score the try. Sinfield was unable to add the conversion so it remained 24-18 to the Rhinos. 

Hull KR hit back with only minutes remaining, centre Connor Barley crossing for his second of the day after crashing over the try line from close range, with Gorman adding the conversion to make it 24-all.

Leeds did think they had the game won when Jack Sinfield knocked over the drop goal with less than five minutes to play, but Hull KR still have one more chance when scrum half Jack Townend slipped the low kick through and stand-off Lennie Ellis won the race to score the winning try, Gorman converting again to make the final score 30-25.