Here's how Leeds Rhinos hit back from 16 points down to beat Wakefield Trinity 24-22 in Super League thriller

Trinity shouldn’t be discouraged at the end of a seven-game winning run. They defended well in the opening quarter, were clinical in attack for 20 minutes before the break and were one missed opportunity away from beating the league leaders and moving level with them on points.

They’ll learn valuable lessons and certainly won’t be daunted if a rematch comes in the play-offs. The sides are evenly-matched and Trinity know they can damage Leeds. For Rhinos, it was a big win, not just because it guaranteed their place in the play-offs and nudged them closer to a top-two finish and potentially the league leaders’ shield.

Most of their victories this year have been by a comfortable margin; on this occasion they showed they can tough it out, battling back from a seemingly hopeless position to win a tight one. Their three substitutes - teenager Zak Lloyd didn’t get on - were excellent. Tom Holroyd is becoming an outstanding impact player, Presley Cassell grows in stature every week and Cameron Smith was the difference between the teams.

He provided the pass for Rhinos’ first try, scored the third and - in probably the game’s pivotal moment - came up with a sensational tackle to deny Cam Scott a try with 20 minutes left when Wakefield led by four.

Trinity lost their way in the second half after going 22-6 up and couldn’t respond when Leeds got on the front foot. Rhinos were caught out defensively at times and three of the four tries they conceded came in penalty sets.

Wakefield’s Jack Sinfield had a fine game against his former club, setting up the first try with a kick for Isaiah Vagana and the third via a pass to Jayden Myers. In between, Caius Faatili’s storming run was finished off by fellow replacement Caleb Hamlin-Uele for a belter.

Leeds gave themselves hope three minutes before half-time when Brodie Croft ran a nice line onto Cameron Smith’s pass for his 25th try of the season, but that seemed to be extinguished at the start of the second period, Sinfield wriggling over and booting his third conversion to make it 22-6. After that though, it was more or less all Rhinos.

Winger Alfie Edgell was tackled into touch by Scott - video referee Jack Smith overruling Liam Moore’s on-field ‘try’ call - and Jarrod O’Connor was held up over Wakefield’s line. James McDonnell then cut through from Croft’s pass to extend his try-scoring run to four successive games, a penalty in the next set kept them on the front foot and Cameron Smith shrugged off a tackle to cross against his future side.

With the lead down to four and tension mounting, Cameron Smith came up with his try-saver on Scott after Jack Bird had halted Tom Johnstone. A knock-on denied Holroyd a try from Connor’s high kick nine minutes from time, but with three left the scrum-half again put boot to ball, low this time, Ash Handley couldn’t get a hand on it, but Chris Hankinson did. There was an agonising wait for the score to be confirmed and Connor kept his nerve to kick the winning conversion, his fourth. Leeds received six penalties to Wakefield’s five (three-two to Trinity in the first half) and all four of the game’s set restarts.

Wakefield Trinity: Rourke, Myers, Scott, Hall, Johnstone, Trueman, Sinfield, Lolesio, Smoothy, Rodwell, McMeeken, Vagana, Tevaga. Subs Pitts, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, H Smith.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Edgell, Bird, Handley, Newman, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Jenkins, Hankinson, McDonnell, Watkins. Subs C Smith, Holroyd, Cassell, Lloyd.

Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan). Attendance: 9,258.