A late try from George Brown secured Leeds Rhinos a Boxing Day win as the Rhinos lifted the Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge Trophy with a 18-16 win over Wakefield Trinity.

With a selection of new signings and young academy talents making up the team sheet, Leeds quickly set the tone with a try inside the first ten minutes from new boy Jake Connor.

Wakefield found themselves defending their own line after kicks from Brodie Croft and Matt Frawley forced Corey Hall and Josh Rourke to concede drop outs. At the second time of asking, Croft and Connor combined to feed the Leeds full back through the Trinity line to score the game’s opening try.

No sooner had Connor scored once, he was in for a second try inside of 15 minutes. After Trinity had knocked on bringing the ball away from their own try line, Leeds quickly swapped into their attacking shape and a shift down the right allowed Connor to exploit the space as he weaved his way to the try line for a second time.

Even after the first batch of substitutes were introduced to the action on 22 minutes, Leeds’ attacking flair didn’t dissipate. Croft architected a great solo break to put Jarrod O’Connor in the clear, but the hooker was caught short of the try line. Newman and McDonnell looked to keep the ball alive themselves too, but to no reward.

As half time loomed, and Wakefield started to grow into the game, a knock on by Ryan Hall by his own try line looked to gift Daryl Powell’s side an opportunity for points. Instead, a poor kick on the last by Josh Rourke allowed Newman to pick up and shift the ball left for Maika Sivo to break in front of the South Stand. Even with Handley in support, Sivo was unable to take the ball to the try line as the sides went into the break at 12-0.

The second half was a different affair as Leeds introduced their young talents, whilst Wakefield went in search of a win.

Eight minutes in, a Leeds attack shifted from attack to defence as Diskin fumbled Connor’s pass and Noah Booth returned it up the other way to score in front of the home fans. The young Rhinos were lucky it wasn’t back to back tries shortly after; Oli Pratt was called for a forward pass by the referee as Booth looked to score his second.

The half continued to ebb and flow a both sides had chances to add more points. Mikolaj Oledzki and Tom Holroyd were held up short in consecutive plays as desperate defence kept Trinity in the match. They were rewarded in attack as Seth Nikotemo scored his first try in Trinity colours as he took Harvey Smith’s pass out of dummy half to go over untouched.

Approaching the last ten minutes, the Rhinos were handed a blow when Dom Sinfield was posted over in the corner to give Wakefield their first lead of the match. Crucially, Rourke couldn’t convert, leaving the door open for a potential game winner.

The Rhinos fans didn’t have to wait long as Academy half back George Brown managed to win the game straight from the kick off. Sinfield’s downfield kick was allowed to bounce by Trinity and sat up just right for Brown to collect, bump off a tackler and burrow his way to the line in a surreal turn of events. Sinfield added the two points, securing the Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge Trophy for a second consecutive season.

Leeds Rhinos

1. Jake Connor, 2. Maika Sivo, 3. Harry Newman, 4. Ash Handley (CC), 5. Ryan Hall, 6. Brodie Croft, 7. Matt Frawley, 8. Mikolaj Oledzki, 9. Andy Ackers, 10. Keenan Palasia, 11. James Bentley, 12. James McDonnell, 13. Cameron Smith (CC)

Subs: 14. Jarrod O’Connor, 15. Sam Lisone, 16. Jack Smith, 17. Cooper Jenkins, 18. Jack Sinfield, 19. Tom Nicholson-Watton, 20. Riley Lumb, 21. Joe Diskin, 22. Toby Warren, 23. Presley Cassell, 24. Jacob Stead, 25. Tom Holroyd, 26. George Brown, 27. Marcus Qareqare, 28. Harley Thomas

Tries: Connor (9, 18), Brown (75)

Goals: Connor 2/2, Sinfield 1/1

Wakefield Trinity

23. Josh Rourke, 1. Oli Pratt, 3. Cam Scott, 4. Corey Hall, 2. Lachlan Walmsley, 6. Jake Trueman, 7. Olly Russell, 15. Caleb Hamlin-Uele, 28. Harvey Smith, 10. Ky Rodwell, 11. Seth Nikotemo, 18. Isaiah Vagana, 21. Mathieu Cozza

Subs: 5. Rowan Stephenson, 12. Ellis Lingard, 13. Dominic Sinfield, 16. Cain Staveley-Carr, 17. Zach McSwiney, 19. Thomas Delaney, 20. Mason Lino, 22. Luke Bain, 25. Jack Croft, 26. Cass Walker-Smith, 27. Isaac Shaw, 29. Noah Booth

Tries: Booth (48), Nikotemo (63), Sinfield (73)

Goals: Russell 2/2, Rourke 0/1

Attendance: 10,883