The Rhinos Reserves kicked off their season with a trip across the Pennines to Cheshire, where they faced the Leigh Leopards with Chev Walker taking control for the first time since 2022. A brace from Marcus Qareqare as well as strong defensive efforts from Toby Warren and Presley Cassell allowed the youthful Reserves to take home the win.

The home team scored the initial points when stand-off Ben McNamara nearly sent his centre through a gap in the Leeds defence, which caused the Leeds defence to tighten in the middle, creating an overlap on the right flank allowing Leopards winger Diego Walker to cross the line unchallenged from close range.

Leeds hit back soon after when scrum half Harry Smith chose to go the blind side with a delicate kick to the corner, finding winger Callum Webster jumping the highest to win the ball, before grounding it as he returned to the Golborne surface, the touchline conversion was missed however leaving the Rhinos trailing by two points.

Leeds starting to look strong, but they couldn’t stop the home side scoring next after Rhinos caught a dangerous bomb on the last tackle, the Leigh defender couldn’t be stopped stealing back possession only metres from the Leeds try line. Only a couple of tackles later Leopards forward Nathan Wilde crashed over from close range and with Ben McNamara adding the extras Leigh had an eight point advantage.

Leeds hit back straight from the kick off, taking advantage of the swirling wind. The high kick hung in the air allowing Leeds to win back possession finding winger Marcus Qareqare who raced away to score in the corner but with another missed conversion Leeds trailed by four points.

Leeds didn’t take long before scoring again and putting themselves in front in the shaped of Presley Cassell following up in support down the middle after a half break from the Rhinos allowing the loose forward to score under the posts and with Harley Thomas successful with the conversion Leeds were two points ahead at 14-12.

There were only seven minutes left of the half, however both sides were showing no signs of slowing down. Leigh would hit back after a half break down the left edge would allow an offload to full back TJ Boyd with empty space ahead of him scored an easy try. The extras added again by McNamara pushed the Leopards four points ahead but the Rhinos still found time to hit back.

Forcing the error from Leigh, the Rhinos found themselves with a scrum 20 out from the Leopards try line, however they wouldn’t need the full set after going down the right edge the ball was quickly shipped to the left edge finding Marcus Qareqare who squeezed in at the corner for his second of the game and tying the scores at 18-all which it stayed at with the half-time whistle sounding.

Leeds were first to take the lead in the second half, from a position that looked like there was no hope of scoring on the left touchline at half way but Marcus Qareqare surrounded by Leigh defenders somehow with a step one way and a twist the other managed to creat enough space ahead of him to race away down the touchline but with Leigh players closing the space he found Noah Whittingham on his inside shoulder with no danger he trotted home to score under the post allowing Thomas to add the extras and make is a six point lead.

Despite the first half being a high scoring half both coaches must of spoke on improving their defence in the second as it stayed at 24-18 until Leigh hit back in with only ten minutes left on the clock. A cross field kick from McNamara found the waiting winger Diego Walker but despite the efforts of Harley Thomas, Walker still managed to ground the ball but with the conversion missed Leeds held on to a two point advantage with the clock ticking down.

But with minutes remaining Leeds extended their lead with Zak Lloyd taking the offload from Joe Diskin with the Leigh defence turning their backs allowing the young second row forward to crash over with the extras added by Thomas Leeds had an eight point lead they wouldn’t relinquish.