By Sam Brocksom

It was an afternoon to forget for Leeds Rhinos women as they lost out 6-32 to York Valkyrie at AMT Headingley Stadium.

Evie Cousins’ first half try was not enough to defeat the former Super League champions, who are now level on points with the Rhinos as the playoff race heats up.

Interim head coach Leon Crick made two changes to the side that faced Wigan three weeks ago, with Kaiya Glynn and Ruby Bruce coming into the side replacing Jenna Greening and Shona Hoyle.

Five different try scorers helped the away side to victory, but there is an injury concern to star player Tara Stanley, who went off injured late into the second half.

The away side took no time at all to get the opening points of the match. Lucy Murray’s tackle on Lacey Owen was deemed high and Stanley slotted over the penalty goal. They quickly added to their two-point lead through Megan Pakulis, the loose forward barging over under the posts from close range. Stanley was successful once again giving York an eight-point lead.

The visitors doubled their advantage within a quarter of an hour. Another penalty goal was on target by Stanley but not before another crash play, this time from Olivia Wood. On the 25-minute mark, Valkyrie led 0-16.

Leeds eventually found their way into the game as Evie Cousins scored a long-range try after breaking through the defence on half way to score under the posts. Keara Bennett added the extras to reduce the deficit to ten.

The final points of the half went the way of the visitors as they regained their sixteen-point lead. Rhiannon Marshall scored against her former side as she powered over from five metres out. Stanley was on target once more making the half-time scores 6-22 in favour of Lindsay Anfield’s side.

Valkyrie continued their dominance into the second half, taking just five minutes to post more points. Marshall turned into the try assister as she produced a short pass to put Owen in to score. Stanley added the two points to increase the lead to 22.

Savanah Andrade got her name on the scoresheet, pouncing on an error in the in-goal from Cousins. Stanley was unsuccessful for the first time in the match, and it would be her final involvement after hobbling off injured minutes later.

The game fizzled out in the final ten minutes, with both sides looking for the full-time whistle. Valkyrie almost added another four-pointer with Sade Rihari’s kick asking questions of Ebony Stead, and almost bouncing into the arms of Eboni Partington but the young Leeds winger did well to diffuse the situation and keeping the scores at 6-32.

The final whistle came eventually, and it put an end to a poor display from the Rhinos, who’s attention will turn to Featherstone, who they welcome to AMT Headingley next Sunday.

Leeds: Cousins, Whitehead, Robinson, Hardcastle, Stead, Butcher, Casey, Sykes, Bennett, Field, Murray, Short, Dainton. Subs: Northrop, Glynn, Donnelly, Bruce.

Tries: Cousins

Goals: Bennett 1/1