Round 9 of Super League XXX meant that it was the Leeds Rhinos turn to try and displace the league leaders Hull KR as the Robins looked to ensure that they stayed at the top of the pile, whatever happened elsewhere in the round.

A win for the Rhinos would put them up to third in the table and open the door to Wigan to finish the round above Hull KR, but should the points go back to East Hull then the Red & White’s would be four points clear of the Warriors in top spot.

Hull KR were the favourites for the win, but they had only been handicapped by four points on the coupon against the continually improving Rhinos, the bookmakers and pundits alike were not sure that the league leaders would have it all their own way.

There were just four minutes on the clock when Jack Sinfield’s shoulder made contact with the head of Arthur Mourgue, the Rhinos half-back spending ten minutes sat on the bench, perhaps fortunate to not see red.

The extra man paid dividends on eight minutes after an initial break from Peta Hiku down the centre of the field, who then found Mikey Lewis who was hauled down just short of the line by a chasing Ryan Hall. A fast play the ball and fast hands saw the ball to the left with Jack Broadbent taking the ball in space to score in the corner. Mourgue hit the far post with his conversion attempt as Hall limped from the field after twisting his ankle in preventing Lewis for scoring.

As the twenty-minute mark arrived the Robins were just four points to the good, by some miracle the besieged Rhinos defence was thwarting the KR onslaught.

The Rhinos first real chance of the game became points to level the game, a pinpoint Jake Connor grubber to the corner was collected on the third bounce by Ash Handley to score from a couple of metres out. Lachlan Miller was on kicking duties but pulled his kick left of the posts from the touchline.

A high tackle by KR on the half hour gave Miller a simple penalty goal to edge the Rhinos into a two-point lead. KR returned the favour on thirty-four when a high tackle from James Bentley on Lewis gifted Mourgue a two pointer and again the sides were tied up.

A minute from the break Lewis slipped into the pocket and attempted a drop goal but the attempt was well wide of the left upright, the half-time hooter calling the players in with nothing between them.

A sensational Leeds try on forty-six, Harry Newman and Riley Lumb playing ‘pass and catch’ down the left wing to turn the KR defence inside out, the young winger Lumb going over in the corner for the four-pointer. Miller smashed his touchline conversion between the uprights, the Rhinos six ahead.

Sam Lisone earned a Leeds penalty on fifty-eight when he was shoulder charged by Sauaso Sue, the Hull KR man seeing a red card and KR down to twelve for the remainder of the game. Miller kicked the resulting penalty for an eight-point lead.

Jai Whitbread thought he’d scored on sixty-two but after watching the big video screen, in the absence of the video referee as SKY’s broadcasting broke down, referee Kendall ruled out the try for an earlier knock on.

Hull KR did get on the scoreboard on sixty-seven with Broadbent taking the Jai Whitbread pass to go over on the corner. Mourgue hit the post again with his conversion, the Robins four points behind.

Entering the last ten minutes the game was still anyone’s.

Ash Handley was red carded on seventy-one for making contact with the head of Mourgue without mitigation. The numbers level for the remaining eight minutes.

On seventy-two James Batchelor was the last man in a passing move down the line to go over in the right-hand corner to level the scores at 14-14. Mourgue pulled his conversion across the face of the posts. Six minutes remained, nothing between the sides, and both teams playing with twelve men.

The 2024 Man of Steel won the game for the Robins on seventy-five as he rounded the Leeds defence on the left after taking a pass from Broadbent, Lewis running in under the sticks to score. Mourgue added the conversion for a decisive six-point lead to the visitors.

Leeds threw everything that they had at Rovers in the dying minutes but couldn’t get over the line.

This was the game that had everything; tries, injuries, cards, broadcaster failures and crazy captains’ challenges. It was a fantastic final twenty from the Robins to win the game and go four points clear but the Rhinos played their part in the entertainment and showed that they are in a position to compete with the best in the game.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller (G 3/4), Hall, Newman, Handley (T, SO on 72), Lumb (T), Connor, Sinfield (SB on 4), Oledzki, O’Connor, Jenkins, McDonnell, Gannon, Palasia. Subs: Holroyd, Lisone, Bentley, Watkins. 18^th Man: Frawley.

Hull KR: Mourgue (G 1/3), Hiku, Batchelor (T), Gildart, Broadbent (2T), Lewis (T), Sue (SO on 58), Litten, Warea-Hargreaves, Hadley, Tanginoa, Minchella. Subs: Luckley, Whitbread, Brown, Leyland. 18^th Man: Richardson.

Half-Time: 6-6.

Full-Time: 14-20.  

Score Progression: (SB), 0-4, 4-4, 6-4, 6-6 :  HT: 10-6, 12-6, 14-6, (SO), 14-10, (SO), 14-14, 14-18, 14-20 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Hull KR -Square – Leeds – Square – Leeds – Square – Hull KR.

Referee: Chris Kendall.