Leeds Rhinos are five games away from winning their first silverware since 2020.

The 24-22 victory at Wakefield Trinity last weekend guaranteed qualification for the play-offs and put them in the driving seat in the race for the Betfred Super League leaders’ shield. But a lot could change over the next month and Leeds face another tough test at home to Leigh Leopards on Thursday. Here’s five talking points ahead of that match.

1: Work to do. Rhinos are secure in the top-six, but there’s still plenty to play for over the final five rounds of the regular season. A top-two finish is the target, but having been in or around first place since Easter, it’ll be a disappointment if they don’t finish as league leaders.

Jake Connor on the attack for Leeds Rhinos at Wakefield Trinity. The sides seem destined for more huge games over the next few seasons. Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.

Two points ahead of Wigan Warriors and four clear of Wakefield, Rhinos need to keep winning, but their huge advantage on for and against means they can probably afford one defeat, while any slip-up by either of the challengers is likely to end their hopes. It’s in Rhinos’ hands and if they win their next three, they could go into the round 26 home clash against Wigan knowing the shield is effectively already theirs.

2:There’s a snag. Form-wise, Leeds have probably the least difficult of the run-ins, facing only two top-six teams (Leigh and Wigan), while three of both Wigan and Wakefield’s last five are against sides in the play-off spots. However, there’s a snag.

Five opponents have beaten Rhinos this season and they play four of them in their last half a dozen matches. Avenging the Challenge Cup loss at Wakefield was a good start, but they still need to reverse Super League defeats by Leigh, Wigan and Hull FC. The positive is, all those three are at home, previous results should ensure there’s no complacency and they add even more motivation at the most important phase of the campaign.

3: New rivalry. Over the past 30 years both Bradford Bulls and Castleford Tigers have had spells as Rhinos’ arch-enemies, now it’s Wakefield Trinity’s turn. The pair have met six times over the past two seasons since Trinity returned to Super League after a year in the Championship wilderness.

Brodie Croft's touchdown for Leeds Rhinos against Wakefield Trinity was his 25th of the season. Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.

Four of those games have been decided by a single try or less, Wakefield winning by two points and one and Rhinos by four and two. The margin in the others, both earlier this season, was 10 to Trinity and 18 for Leeds.

West Yorkshire’s top two are incredibly evenly-matched, with free-scoring outside-backs, smart pivots and arguably the best packs in the European game. There’s every chance of another showdown during the play-offs, most likely a semi-final at AMT Headingley or in the Old Trafford title decider. Many neutrals will be hoping that’s the case, because if it’s half as good as last Friday’s thriller, it’ll be a cracker.

4: Try again. This year is the first since the treble winning campaign of 2015 two Leeds players have scored more than 20 tries in a season. Eleven years ago Ryan Hall led the way with 22, two ahead of Kallum Watkins.

In 2012 five Rhinos men - Hall (with 33), Ben Jones Bishop (23), Danny McGuire (22), Zak Hardaker (21) and Kallum Watkins (20) - broke the 20-try barrier. Leeds played 37 games that season, the maximum possible, as they featured in the World Club Challenge, both domestic finals and started in the opening round of the play-off.

Leeds Rhinos were beaten 26-14 at Leigh Leopards in Super League round one six months ago. Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com.

But since summer rugby began in 1996, Leeds have never had more than one player reach 30 in a single campaign. The nearest they came was in 2005 when Mark Calderwood scored 35 and Rob Burrow 28.

Maika Sivo had 31 tries to his name in all competitions this term before suffering the broken arm which will keep him sidelined for another four games. Brodie Croft also has 30 in sight; he’s now only five away and if he gets there could pip Sivo - who has 29 - to finish as leading scorer in the regular Super League rounds.

5: Coincidence corner. There was a strange synchronicity to last Friday’s result. Three weeks earlier Rhinos were on a seven-game winning run after a victory at Catalans Dragons, led 16-0 against near-neighbours – Castleford Tigers in that case – and went on to lose by two points despite scoring straight after half-time.

Trinity played Catalans before meeting Leeds, picked up their seventh straight victory and were 16-0 ahead in the derby, only to lose by two points after grabbing an early try in the second half.