Highly-rated youngster George Brown shines as Leeds Rhinos beat Wakefield Trinity in Festive Challenge

The highlight from Leeds’ perspective was the rookie scrum-half’s try midway through the first period, the youngster taking a long pass, throwing a dummy and stepping past a couple of defenders before stretching over the line. It was an indication of why Rhinos have high hopes for Brown, who displayed good strength, as well as footwork and an eye for the line. He played the full-80 and was Leeds’ man of the match.

As always on Boxing Day, defence was in better shape than attack. Rhinos built last season’s improvement on a strong defence and the early signs are it will be a similar story in 2026. Wakefield were pinned back for most of the game and only got forward through a lopsided penalty count, though they took their chances when they came, scoring from two of their three clear opportunities.

Leeds would have won more convincingly, but were unable to get the ball down on four occasions when they crossed the visitors’ line. Wakefield made too many errors, but were spirited without the ball. Brown’s try was a beauty, but Leeds’ other two both came from kicks.

One by acting-captain Chris Hankinson, playing at stand-off, led to the opening try, after 15 minutes. It wasn’t taken Jayden Myers on Wakefield’s right-wing and Alfie Edgell gathered the rebound to scamper over. Rhinos had already missed one chance, when Cooper Jenkins couldn’t take Jarrod O’Connor’s pass on the Wakefield line.

Brown’s try - with Hankinson adding his second conversion - doubled the hosts’ lead, but man mountain Jeremiah Mata’utia and hooker O’Connor were both held up over the line as Leeds threatened to run away with the game.

Trinity got on the board with six minutes left in the half when - following a penalty and two set-restarts - Isaiah Vagana, who was their official man of the match, crashed over from close range and Jack Sinfield added the extras. That was very much against the run of play, but Leeds struck again in the final moments of the half, taking advantage of a nice break from Brown and a set-restart; Riley Lumb getting the ball down from Hankinson’s kick. The skipper converted from the touchline.

New signing Danny Levi replaced O’Connor at half-time and became the third Leeds player held up over Wakefield’s line soon afterwards, quickly followed by Jenkins, the Aussie prop who certainly put himself about. The missed chances might have been punished; Trinity hit back with 15 minutes left when a superb pass from Sinfield sent Myers over, but the ex-Leeds man was narrowly off target with his conversion attempt.

That try came after the sixth of Trinity’s seven set re-starts. Leeds received six. The penalty count was nine-four in Wakefield’s favour, three of Rhinos’ - including a 10 metre punishment for dissent - coming in succession early in the second period.

Wakefield did apply some pressure in the closing stages and almost grabbed a third try, but Trey Loleso knocked on just short.

Leeds Rhinos: Edgell, Thomas, Simpson, N McCormack, Lumb, Hankinson, G Brown, Holroyd, O'Connor, Jenkins, O'Neill, Littlewood, Palasia. Subs Mata’utia, Levi, Nicholson-Watton, Qareqare, O Brown, Hardy, Tooala, Harry Smith, Stead, Lloyd, Smart, Diskin, Butterfield.

Wakefield Trinity: Brook, Myers, Pratt, C Hall, Tate, Lawford, J Sinfield, Rodwell, Harvey Smith, Faatili, Scott, Vagana, Abraham. Subs Briggs, Lolesio, McGann, Molyneux, Ratcliffe, D Sinfield, Stephenson, Walker-Smith, Williams

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes). Attendance: 11,266.