Super League: Leeds Rhinos 25-28 Catalans Dragons

Catalans Dragons boosted their Super League survival hopes as they beat champions Leeds for the second time in a month.

Leeds, who are now in danger of a bottom-four finish, led 24-10 at half-time at Headingley.

The Dragons then ran in three second-half tries to level at 24-24.

With two unconverted, Liam Sutcliffe's drop-goal put the hosts ahead, but Kenny Edwards' second try condemned Leeds to a sixth straight defeat.

It leaves the Dragons fourth from bottom in the table, a point behind Brian McDermott's injury-hit title holders.

Leeds are two places higher in seventh with only five games of the regular season left, having not won in the league in almost two months.

Challenge Cup semi-finalists Leeds, coming off the back of a narrow home defeat by leaders St Helens, looked set to end that losing run when Jack Walker, Sutcliffe, Cameron Smith and returning on-loan winger Luke Briscoe all scored before the half-time hooter.

But, having scored first-half tries through Samisoni Langi and Josh Drinkwater, the Dragons added four more.

Fouad Yaha and Wigan old boy Lewis Tierney both scored before Edwards crossed either side of Sutcliffe's one-pointer.

Drinkwater's lack of success with the boot still kept Leeds in it, despite having been outscored six tries to four and having lost another player when Anthony Mullally was not allowed to go back on with concussion.

They even came close to snatching back the lead in the dying seconds. But, chasing Sutcliffe's clever kick, Tom Briscoe won the foot race with Tony Gigot, only to be held up a metre short by Yaha's brilliant tackle.

Yaha's follow-up professional foul to prevent Leeds playing the ball earned him the game's third yellow card, but secured Catalans' victory.

Rhinos boss Brian McDermott told BBC Radio Leeds:

"We're missing some people. For fear of sounding repetitive, the answer is the same as it was last week and the week before and it will be until we start getting some bodies back.

"It's a worry of course but I still say we're in good shape when we have everybody back.

"The anxiety that we had a couple of years ago because of the fear of being in the bottom four is not there for us at the moment.

"The crowd were brilliant. They're giving the players a huge amount of backing which is appreciated by the players, but I understand why they're concerned."

Dragons head coach Steve McNamara:

"It would have made it very difficult if we'd lost. It was a huge game for us and we knew the task in hand.

"Headingley is a tough place to come and Leeds had a good performance against St Helens. They played extremely fast.

"They did that in spells again, but we just knew we had to find a way to win and, at half-time, we still had the belief we could do that.

"We were pretty dominant throughout the game and were the better team."

Leeds: Walker; T Briscoe, Newman, Handley, L Briscoe; Moon, Sutcliffe; Oledzki, Parcell, Garbutt, Ferres, Smith, Cuthbertson.

Interchanges: Dwyer, Walters, Mullally, Holroyd.

Catalans Dragons: Gigot; Tierney, Mead, Wiliame, Yaha; Langi, Drinkwater; Casty, McIlorum, Simon, Jullien, Garcia, Bird.

Interchanges: Anderson, Bousquet, Baitieri, Edwards.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas