By Guy Harvey

Mark Butterill’s side returned to AMT Headingley for the second time this season to face Wakefield Trinity, having previously having an impressive victory over Castleford as well as beginning the season with a win on the road at Hull FC. Wakefield travel looking to record their first victory of the season having narrowly lost in their first outing of the season to strong side Wigan.

It wasn’t the best start for the young Rhinos as they couldn’t gather Wakefield’s kick off and were forced to take the drop out. Wakefield didn’t waste the opportunity crossing for a try moments later when full back Robbie Brook races down the right flank and charging through the Leeds defence to score, giving them a four-point lead after the conversion attempt was missed. Leeds thought they had responded almost immediately through half back Kai Irvine however he was held up in the tackle in Wakefield’s try area.

However, on the ten-minute mark Leeds responded when hooker Harvey Butterworth whilst looking to make an offload in the tackle was able to twist himself free and dive over for the try being only inches from the try line, with Jacob Hardy converting giving the young Rhinos a 6-4 lead. Rhinos full back Mason Peach would cross for a try a couple of sets later but again Wakefield’s defiant defence would hold the would-be scorer up again refusing the try. 

Although both sides were struggling with conceding penalties, this could be forgiven due to ferocity in each team’s defending. Leeds extended their lead midway through the first half, Zak Lloyd who is certainly enjoying himself as a second-yearscholar took a pass from hooker Butterworth and spotted the space behind the ruck, there would be no stopping Lloyd racing through from twenty metres out to score just besides the posts, Hardy converting again giving Leeds a 12-4 lead.

The rest of the half would be a relatively quiet one with both sides again struggling with discipline in defence but as before due to the ferocity in the defending and the exciting spectacle it was making, it could be forgiven. But with four minutes left before half time Wakefield would respond in the shape of stand off Jackson Cummins, running at the Rhinos defensive line spotted a slight space and adding the dummy pass would step through, Mason Peach would try his most to hold the Trinity attacker up but would come up just short, Cummins adding the conversion to his own try and Wakefield believed they had narrowed the deficit to two points at half time.

Mark Butterill’s side had other plans however, and with the half time hooter about to ring out loose forward Jacob Hardy would show great individual talent, stepping off his right foot and running back against the run of the play and with the Wakefield defence struggling to adjust Hardy charged over for the try taking two would be tacklers with him. Hardy converted his own try and sent his side in at the break with an 18-10 lead.

Whatever words were spoken at half time by Mark Butterill and his staff certainly stuck in the young Rhinos minds as the second half was a deluge of points. Ten minutes into the half and Leeds began their onslaught firstly centre Tom Richardson crossed for a try after an offload from Wade White was left on the floor, Richardson reacted quickest to collect the ball and race over for thew four pointer from ten metres out, Hardy successful with another conversion.

Minutes later Hardy would cross for his second try of the evening in impression fashion, firstly putting hooker Harvey Butterworth through a gap on halfway and with just the full back to beat the hooker returned the ball to Hardy who raced away to score under the posts which he again converted, and the Rhinos had a 30-10 lead.

Leeds extended their lead on the next set when half back Kai Irvine made a half break down the left flank but was tackled twenty metres shy of Wakefield’s try line. However, hooker Harvey Butterworth spotted the overlap created and fired a pass over to waiting winger Jack Smith who had a comfortable jog in to score the try and with his toughest conversion on the night was successful again pushing the Rhinos lead to 36-10.

Leeds now asserting their dominance in the game crossed again moments later with second row forward Zak Lloyd grabbing his second try of the night in typical forward fashion, taking the pass from hooker Butterworth ten metres out from Wakefield’s try line and charging over to score with ease but Hardy missing his first conversion on the night and Leeds have a 40-10 lead.

Leeds wasn’t finished on the night however, after another half break would catch Wakefield scrambling in defence again, Will Hunter spotting another overlap threw a looping pass out wide but Trinity centre Elijah Hylton would get a hand to the ball, although Leeds centre Cobi Ellis would react quickest and retrieve the free ball and dive over for the try with the conversion missed Leeds had a 44-10 lead.

Credit to Wakefield though, didn’t give up throughout the evening and still had the final say in impression fashion as well, having a scrum on their own twenty metre line, quickly sent the ball out wide to winger Mason McLelland who raced almost the length of the field to score with the full time hooter about to sound and with Cummins successful with the conversion it ended with the score at 44-16.

Mark Butterill’s scholarship side are next in action on Wednesday 1^st May on the road to old foes Bradford Bulls at Odsal Stadium with a 7pm kick off.

Leeds Rhinos Scholarship 

1. Mason Peach
2. Luke Fagan
3. Tom Richardson
4. Cobi Ellis
5. Liam Watson
6. Wade White
7. Kai Irvine
8. Daniel Stelfox
9. Harvey Butterworth
10. James Rowney
11. Zak Lloyd
12. Hughie Tinkler
13. Jacob Hardy
14. Will Hunter
15. Caleb Rhodes
16. Dacx Jones-Buchanan
17. Connor Lawrie
18. Will Mathers
19. Jack Smith
20. Harry Thompson

Wakefield Trinity Scholarship

1. Robbie Brook
2. Max Hobson
3. Elijah Hylton
4. Lewis Pavier
5. Charlie Sheard
6. Jackson Cummins
7. Roby Cumiskey
8. Junior Rowse
9. Jake Hartley
10. Ashton Smith
11. Zack Clegg
12. Ewan Walsh
13. Corey Abraham
14. Jake Gaunt
15. James Sharp
16. William Rolls
17. Otis Stephens
18. Marco Morgan
19. Mason McLelland
20. Rylee Wilks