A high scoring affair at AMT Headingley saw Leeds Rhinos Under-18s score nine tries in a 52-18 win over Hull KR.

Seven different try scorers helped the young Rhinos take home their third consecutive win, having defeated Huddersfield and Castleford at Headingley over the last month, and Tony Smith’s side put in one of their most clinical performances this season.

Early pressure from the Robins saw the visitors get back-to-back sets on the Leeds try line early on, but the young Rhinos turned pressure into points at the other end of the field. Utilising a knock on by Hull KR’s Oliver Forsyth on George Brown’s last tackle kick and a strip on Jayemm Oladipupo, Leeds kept the Robins’ defence on it’s heels, before Presley Cassell used great footwork to round two defenders and drive his way to the try line to score.

Joe Diskin and George Brown kept the scoring up as the young Rhinos took a firm grip of the contest. As Hull KR struggled to take another high kick, Callum Webster managed to win the ball in the air and pass to Cassell, who quickly fed Diskin under the posts. Brown then cut a great angle to touch down to take Leeds to an 18-0 lead with two more conversions from Harley Thomas.

The home side were quickly hitting top gear as Hull KR struggled to find an answer to Leeds’ attack. Fergus McCormack helped create the Rhinos’ fourth try as the full back got his nose through the Robins’ defence and found the onrushing Kai Taylor-Smith, who kept the attack going. With only the full back to beat, Taylor-Smith did well to time his pass for Webster who got over for his fifth try of the year.

Hull KR mustered a response before the break as Henry Watkinson grabbed a double. The half back got over the line out of dummy half, after a string of mistakes from Leeds got the Robins downfield, before a break by Josh Ratuvou saw the centre offload out of McCormack’s tackle to find Watkinson in support.

But Leeds made sure they steadied the ship with tries either side of half time. Declan White made an inspired break downfield before he found fellow substitute Mason Corbett to score before the break, and then four minutes into the second half, Thomas picked up the loose ball after Webster and Forsyth battled in the air to claim a last tackle kick.

Brown added his second try of the game after ten minutes of the new half as the half back supported a break from Oliver Smart to touch down, but after a handful of stoppages which saw the Rhinos lose Callum Webster to a HIA, Hull KR responded with a length of the field try from Josh Smith to make the score 42-14 heading into the final 20 minutes.

Oladipupo and Lewis Wing each get tries on the board for either side to shift the score to a 30 point difference, but Harry Taylor made sure Leeds finished with a flourish as the centre got over in the corner to notch up 50 points for the home side at full time.

Match Facts

Rhinos Under-18s

1. Fergus McCormack, 2. Kai Taylor-Smith, 3. Harley Thomas, 4. Harry Taylor, 5. Callum Webster, 6. George Brown, 7. Harry Smith, 17. Lore Jones-Buchanan , 9. Joe Diskin, 10. Jayemm Oladipupo, 11. Jacob Stead, 12. Oliver Smart, 13. Presley Cassell

Subs: 14. Mason Corbett, 15. Matthew Rolls, 16. Oscar Brown, 8. Declan White (18^th Man – Alex Cowley)

Tries: Cassell (7), Diskin (12), Brown (17, 49), Webster (21), Corbett (40), Thomas (43), Oladipupo (63) Taylor (79)

Goals: Thomas 8/9

Hull KR Under-18s

1. Ryan Moses, 2. Lewis Jones, 3. Josh Smith, 4. Josh Ratuvou, 5. Oliver Forsyth, 20. Alfie Walker, 7. Henry Watkinson, 8. Hayden Todd, 9. Luke Foreman, 10. George Lauer, 11. Barney Fishwick, 12. Frankie Dearlove, 13. Harrison Adams

Subs: 14. Samuel Howe, 19. James Farrar, 16. Harry Fletcher, 17. Ryan Hall (18^th Man – 19. Jake Parkes)

Tries: Watkinson (31, 34), Smith (58), Wing (68)

Goals: Moses 1/3, Farrar 0/1