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Highlights of the Super League clash between Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR

Leeds served further notice of their Grand Final intent with an emphatic 28-6 win over Betfred Super League leaders Hull KR at Headingley.

First-half tries from Jake Connor, Presley Cassell and Lachlan Miller, supplemented by a second-half effort from Harry Newman and six Connor kicks, continued their dramatic revival under newly-secured head coach Brad Arthur.

Rovers looked a pale imitation of the side that all but wrapped up the League Leaders’ Shield last week with a power-packed 10-6 win over closest rivals Wigan.

In contrast, Leeds are gaining momentum as each week goes by, and after two years without a post-season, few would now dare bet against them extending their dramatic revival all the way to the Super League showpiece in October.

Rovers lost Sauaso Sue to injury within the first five minutes and proceeded to deliver arguably their weakest 40 minutes of the season to date as the Rhinos cruised into an 18-0 half-time lead.

The visitors’ early momentum was wrenched away when a Mikey Lewis kick was charged down at close quarters, and Rovers were punished after Jez Litten coughed up possession with a careless forward pass after 15 minutes.

Leeds’ Brodie Croft is hauled down by a tackle from Hull KR’s Arthur Mourgue (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

Connor faked a pass then twisted through the Rovers defence to touch down and set himself up with the simplest of conversions to get the Rhinos up and running.

Leeds continued to press and were worthy of their stroke of luck less than five minutes later when Kallum Watkins’ kick through struck the left post and bounced favourably for teenage prop Cassell to ground his first home try.

Barring a close call for Tom Davies, who was held up inches from the Leeds line, Rovers offered little attacking threat, and the Rhinos extended their lead just before the half-hour mark when Harry Newman burst over halfway to spark the move that ended in Miller slicing over on the right.

Newman celebrates scoring his try

It proved a costly half for Rovers, their pack decimated by the addition of Jai Whitbread to their injury list, and a predictable spell of pressure early in the second half came to an end when Peta Hiku was tackled inches short.

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Brad Arthur felt the players coming in for Leeds Rhinos stepped up in their victory over league-leaders Hull KR

Leeds weathered the storm and seldom looked troubled, Newman’s brilliant try-saving tackle on Joe Burgess as the Rovers man shaped to dive over in the corner summing up the different levels of intensity between the two sides.

Leeds did get a mighty let-off on the hour mark when Newman dropped a kick over his own try line and the Robins pounced only for a video review to rule the Leeds man had been tackled in the air by Jack Broadbent.

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Willie Peters felt Leeds Rhinos beat Hull KR in the physical battle

Two Connor penalties sandwiched a fourth Leeds try from the busy Newman with 13 minutes left on the clock, and when Davies finally broke Rovers’ deadlock with two minutes left – converted by ex-Rhino Rhyse Martin – it merely saw the visitors avoid the indignity of a first shutout since 2022.

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