Leeds (6) 24 Tries: Webb, Peacock, Buderus, Smith Goals: Smith 4 Hull KR (12) 14 Tries: Welham, Cockayne Goals: Dobson 3
 Leeds forward Ali Lauitiiti gets the ball away under pressure from Mick Vella |
Leeds put in a strong second-half display to beat Hull KR and go joint top of the Super League table. The Rhinos trailed 14-6 early in the second half after Kris Welham and Ben Cockayne crossed for Rovers and Michael Dobson kicked three goals. Jamie Peacock's try sparked a Leeds revival and Australian hooker Danny Buderus also got onto the scoresheet. Wasps-bound Lee Smith ran 80 metres for a superb solo try and then kicked his fourth goal to seal the victory. The Rhinos made the perfect start as Brent Webb seized on Danny McGuire's kick to score under the posts in the second minute. With skipper Kevin Sinfield absent with a dead leg, Smith added the conversion but Rovers dug in to ensure that the Rhinos were not going to have things all their own way.  | 606: DEBATE |
Clint Newton was stopped just short of the line and another chance went begging when Dobson's kick was blocked and the scrum-half knocked on trying to regather. The visitors were finally rewarded when Paul Cooke's kick set up Welham for their first score. And Rovers went ahead shortly before the break when Scott Murrell kicked through for Cockayne to ease by Luke Burgess and touch down. A high tackle by Keith Senior on Murrell allowed Dobson to kick an extra two points early in the second half. But Peacock raced on to a McGuire offload and Smith converted from in front of the posts. Ryan Hall had a try disallowed for a forward pass and Jamie Jones-Buchanan also went close for Leeds as Rovers clung on. But the home side's pressure paid off as Buderus and Smith scored in the final six minutes to put them level in the table with St Helens.
Leeds coach Brian McClennan: "In the first half, Hull KR were very good and they had us struggling, but in the second half our boys rose to the challenge and managed to turn it around. "Hull KR then had to come out and defend a bit, and that's how we got the win, but it was a very tough night. "We're really proud of the way we came back because they knocked us around in that first half." Hull KR coach Justin Morgan "I thought we played exceptionally well in the first half, but we couldn't replicate that in the second half. "We got ourselves in the driver's seat and couldn't go on with it, but we were playing against a very good side in Leeds. "There are lots of positives, but we lost, so we can't be too pleased."
Leeds: Webb, Watkins, Smith, Senior, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Diskin, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Lauitiiti, Ablett. Replacements: Buderus, Burgess, Manning, Ratu. Hull KR: Cockayne, Fox, Webster, Welham, Colbon, Cooke, Dobson, Fozzard, Fisher, Vella, Newton, Galea, Murrell. Replacements: Wheeldon, Lovegrove, Walker, Fitzhenry. Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield).
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