Injury blow and Jake Connor switch worry Leeds Rhinos fans after big win v 'resilient' Wakefield Trinity

Rhinos held on for a 22-18 success, which was their fourth successive win, but Trinity pushed them all the way after trailing 22-18 at half-time. The YEP’s fans jury were impressed by Rhinos’ first half performance and Trinity’s spirited fightback, but concerned over an injury to Lachie Miller - and there’s a new nomination for a prestigious award.

DAVID MUHL

The MND round at Headingley is always an emotional game with the memory of the great Rob Burrow at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Our club does this sort of day and event better than any club and the Leeds players did his memory proud and produced a good win.

Wakefield always seem to produce their best on visits to Headingley and, backed by a big travelling support, gave Leeds some problems, especially in the second half. Leeds played a near faultless first half, Jake Connor controlling things from half-back. He caused some real problems and his kicking game was superb.

The best try for me was Harry Newman’s catch and twisting over from a Connor kick. Things changed at half time with Lachie Miller, who had caused problems for the opposition all first half, not retaking the field. Connor went to fullback, but the change seemed to throw us and we didn’t replicate the first half.

For once. I agreed with the broadcasters’ man of the match. Kallum Watkins was brilliant, especially in defence. I really like the way he tackles: low, and around the legs, none of this ball and all, upright stuff. As my old dad used to say ‘you can’t run without your legs’. His technique is something youngsters should watch and learn from and he’s no mug in attack either.

There were good performances all round. Jarrod O’Connor had a great game, making over 60 tackles and Ash Handley continued his fine run of form, making some good breaks. Our forward pack, including replacements, is a good, big unit which is laying a platform for our backs; long may it continue. We have a week off and then it’s Warrington at home. I’m confident of a win, if we continue playing the way we are we really have nothing to fear from any team.

BECKY OXLEY

What an intense final five minutes. My heart was racing and I found it hard to watch. The MND awareness round truly warranted a thrilling match and the packed Headingley crowd paid great tribute to the remarkable Rob Burrow with a minute of applause to kick things off.

It’s astonishing to think a year has gone by since Rob’s passing, yet his legacy continues to thrive daily through the incredible efforts of his family, Kevin Sinfield and others who strive to give a voice to those affected by MND and to discover a cure for the disease one day.

The match was a tale of two halves. We weren’t as fluid or solid as we were the previous week, but Wakey were never going to be easy opponents. They have proven to be resilient this season, building on an outstanding performance last year. The fact we managed to hold our ground and defend until the end to secure the win is what made the game truly memorable.

I’ll take this victory and look forward to the next match against Warrington after the break for the Challenge Cup final. We currently sit in third place - a position we haven’t enjoyed for several years - and are in a strong spot as we reach the halfway mark of the season.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

In a game of two very different halves, Leeds overcame a buoyant Wakefield to secure our fourth win in a row and keep ourselves within touching distance of the top two. The first half was some of the best rugby I have seen Leeds play in a long time. We looked threatening every time we had the ball, especially when Jake Connor and Lachie Miller got their hands on it.

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It is no secret how well Connor has settled into life at the Rhinos and he was at his best throughout the first half. On top of his top-tier performances, he is backing it up with points; scoring one try, setting up another and landing the penalty kicks to ultimately win us the game. If he carries on this form, he will be up there with one of the best Leeds signings in the Super League era.

Under Brad Arthur, we have seen the transformation of Lachie Miller into a real superstar. Last season it felt like his attacking qualities needed guidance, but now we have some attacking structure, he is thriving. He has stepped up and become a key member of the team and his presence was definitely missed in the second half after his injury.

Speaking of the second half, we looked lacklustre, to put it politely. Wakefield have been in strong form since promotion back to the Super League and we should have been wary of the threat of a comeback. Leeds looked complacent and this allowed Wakefield back into the game.

All the good things from the first half, a strong attack and tough-to-beat defence, were absent in the second. Even with Miller going off injured, there was enough quality to at least make it a comfortable win and score some points. Despite all the negatives, we did well to hold in and this will be a massive two points in the hunt for play-offs.

IAIN SHARP

Marking the first anniversary of the passing of Rob Burrow, both sides served up a fitting tribute. The game fell into two distinct halves and in the first, Leeds ran the game to lead 22-6 at half-time. I know I’ve waxed lyrical about Jake Connor’s short kicking game before, but his hanging punt - which to quote Douglas Adams “hung in the air in exactly the same way that bricks don’t” - to Harry Newman for his try was sublime.

The second period was spoiled by the departure of Lachie Miller during the half-time break and the subsequent reshuffle affecting Leeds, as well as the intervention of referee Chris Kendall who put his usual stamp on proceedings. One thing creeping into the game - and Leeds are as guilty as anyone - is players taking two or three tackles to return to the attacking line.

They either stroll back or hang around, presumably to try to disrupt the opposition’s attacking line. There were a couple of instances on Saturday where the retreating player was virtually stood behind the acting-half at a play-the-ball. On one level, it short changes the fans and on another it really is against the ethos of the sport. The RFL need to stamp it out or change the rules to prevent it.

Wakefield brought a strong competitor in the unofficial yet prestigious ‘hairdo of the season’ contest; Caius Faatili’s ‘Brad Fash meets Glen Hoddle’ effort was perhaps the greatest coiffure seen at Headingley since Salford man Tim Lafai’s ‘tribute to an exploding sofa’ from a few seasons ago.

It’s a week off for Leeds and maybe some of you will be decamping to London for the Challenge Cup final at Wembley on Saturday. My heart says Hull KR, but knowing how insufferable their fans will be, my head says Warrington.

GAVIN MILLER

The way Wakefield came back into Saturday’s game it in the second half showed just how important the Lachie Miller-Jake Connor-Brodie Croft spine is to Leeds. Miller’s injury meant a reshuffle and the second-best defence in Super League creaked slightly under the impact of the change. The impact of Connor, superb again in the first half, lessened when he moved to full-back and the fluidity and tenacity of Leeds defence dropped a little. However due to an excellent first half in both defence and attack, Leeds had enough to hold off a spirited Wakey comeback. Because of the comeback and Leeds ultimately holding on for the two points, it won’t get talked about, but the scandalous decision to sin-bin James Bentley with three minutes to go again showed up the ludicrous nature of rugby league at the moment. Committed to a tackle, a split second late, from behind and no contact with the head wouldn’t even have been a penalty back in the good old days, but now it’s a sin-bin and a grade B charge.

A good win, now we move on to the next round and hopefully this team can continue its march towards play-off and Grand Final footy.