Leeds Rhinos fans' derby delight: Jack Bird impresses, class tells & whatever happened to Rita Rhino?

Leeds trailed 8-6 at half-time in the revival of one of Betfred Super League’s fiercest rivalries, but pulled away in the second period to seal a 24-12 success which sends them into the upcoming free weekend in good heart. The YEP’s Rhinos fans jury were pleased to see the return of the big city derby and even happier with the result. Here’s what they made of it.

IAIN SHARP

So, back to Odsal for a league game for the first time in 14 years and the usual comments from folks visiting after a long time: “How did they get 120 000 in here? The dressing rooms used to be up there and they had to walk down through the crowd,” and so on.

Bradford perhaps have turned over a new fiscal leaf too, they were back to multiple mascots cavorting about. Bull Man, Bull Boy and I think I even saw Bull Child, begging the question whatever happened to Ricky, Rita and Rosie Rhino?

It was good to see bits of the pitch no longer curl up in the corners like a British Rail sandwich. Leeds fans, remembering that cup game we don’t talk about, were twitchy by half time at 8-6 down. Like cup games against lower ranked opposition, it was clear the Bulls were going to resist, but the question was for how long?

Missed goal kicks didn’t help their cause either. The good news is that second half Leeds were different gravy and as Bradford tired, Leeds hit back through, among others, Jack Bird, who is establishing himself in the backline and is helping generate that positive pressure for places we need.

The dizzying heights of top-of-the-league for a few hours, but a week off now for being out of the cup. Indeed it was a Good Friday.

DAVID MUHL

That was a job done. It could have been a tricky tie against our local rivals and brought back a lot of memories of some fierce games over the years, none more so than the 2007 Magic weekend when we stole the win in the most controversial circumstances. Memories of Bulls fans’ faces as I walked out of the stadium will live with me forever.

But back to Friday, this was a workmanlike performance, one where we had to work hard against a spirited Bradford team who led at half-time. But we had patience and didn’t panic when we had plenty of position on the Bulls line, but didn’t score. While not a classic there were plenty of things to admire.

Our pack played well on a field which doesn’t lend itself to expansionist rugby and Maika Sivo suffered as a result, remaining tryless, although he did not have the greatest game. I thought our best two players were Cam Smith, whose distribution was class as well as his usual defensive workrate and Ash Handley who scored a superb try.

Jake Connor had a quiet game, but did put in one of the best 40/20 kicks I’ve seen, or should I say 20/20 and Jack Bird continued his fine run. At this rate Harry Newman will be lucky to get his spot back. Lachie Miller had a sound game and was unlucky to get his try marked off by the video referee. As a result of this I looked up obstruction in the laws of the game, and it says ‘defensive decisions that commit defenders to initiating contact will not be deemed obstruction’, so no way should this have been chalked off.

We have a week off now so I will have to look for something to do. Shall I go to see if Wakey can get to the Challenge Cup semi-finals? Then it’s Huddersfield away, a game we should win comfortably.

BECKY OXLEY

It has been 12 years since the last Leeds-Bradford Super League derby and it was fantastic to witness its return. With just under 15,000 fans at Odsal, there was a palpable excitement for the Good Friday match, creating a positive atmosphere for both teams.

A minute's applause for the remarkable Geoff Burrow was truly deserved. A genuine gentleman, he was reunited with Rob and I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Burrow family during this difficult time.

Overall, our performance was commendable and I was particularly impressed by the contributions of Jack Bird and Tom Holroyd. Both players were consistent and effectively advanced the ball. Bradford put up a strong challenge, especially in the first half, with their defense proving to be robust.

The fact that we had five or six sets in succession without breaking through their defense highlighted the intensity of the match. There is always something special about the Bradford derbies and this one certainly met my expectations.

It was a good Friday, and we ended the day at the top of the league. While it may be premature to draw conclusions about league positions, we are demonstrating class and consistency, which is exactly where we aim to be.

One player I criticised last year, Chris Hankinson, has been outstanding this season. His versatility has surprised me and he has shown to be solid defensively while also contributing in attack.

We have a week off and I hope this break does not disrupt our momentum. I trust we will continue to train diligently and return against Huddersfield refreshed, avoiding any complacency that might lead us to underestimate them.

KATIE MARCZYNSKI

How good is it to have the West Yorkshire derby back in Super League for the first time in 12 years? Leeds and Bradford fighting it out for top spot are some of my earliest memories as a Rhinos fan and while Bulls might not be where they once were just yet, our win saw us go to the top of the table - even if only for a day.

The game started with a minute’s applause for Geoff Burrow, who sadly passed away last week, which was a classy and respectful move from Bradford. Odsal has always been a tough place to go and win and Friday was no different.

We struggled in the first half, unable to break through despite set after set on Bradford’s line. Their try on the stroke of half-time had me worrying it was going to be like the Wakefield game all over again, but we came out stronger after half time, our kick and chase pressure was much better and tries from Jack Bird, Ash Handley and Cooper Jenkins sealed the victory.

We have a short break now we’re out of the Cup. Hopefully it does us some good and we're fighting fit for our trip to Huddersfield a week on Friday.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

Another battling performance from Leeds saw us pick up a second league win in a row, over our fierce rivals Bradford. Good teams find a way to win when they aren’t at their best, which is what Leeds managed to do on Friday, especially after a first half that was slightly lackluster.

It was always going to be a tricky encounter for Leeds, given how big the game was, but we did well to manage the contest, especially when we went behind. This was like a cup final for Bradford so it was good to see the patience from Leeds to weather the storm and take their chances when they came. A packed Odsal is not an easy place to play at for an away team, but the boys showed a maturity to push through and get the win.

I think our use of the interchange bench was vital to turn the tide. In particular, I felt Cam Smith and Danny Levi were impressive in their stints on the field. Smith did well against Warrington last week and backed it up with another good performance against the Bulls, producing the pass to start off Ash Handley’s try. Levi came on and gave our attack a much needed boost.

I do like Jarrod O’Connor and value what he brings to the team, however he was not at the races last Friday and Levi showed that extra level of quality he can bring to the team. Our squad depth let us down last season so it is pleasing to see the many quality options we have available to use in 2026.