One 8/10 in Peter Smith's Leeds Rhinos ratings from 26-0 win v Huddersfield Giants

Thursday's 26-0 result at Huddersfield Giants extended Rhinos’ winning run to five games and put pressure on the teams immediately above and below them in the fight for a home play-off. It wasn’t a great spectacle, but Leeds got the job done with a ruthless defensive performance.

In front of a crowd of just 4,315, Giants had one chance in the first half - when a touchdown was disallowed for a forward pass - and none after the break. That’s now four successive games in which Leeds haven’t conceded before the interval and they’ve leaked only two tries during that run.

Huddersfield were resilient and didn’t give Rhinos an easy game. The visitors led 8-0 at half-time and had to wait until the hour mark to add to their tally, but their attack clicked into gear in the final quarter when they ran in three tries, including an absolute belter.

There were a couple of injury concerns, scrum-half Jake Connor - who had a relatively quiet night - and prop Cooper Jenkins both going off in the second half. Leeds went ahead after 11 minutes with a well-worked, but unconverted, try from Harry Newman who ran through to touch down Brodie Croft's precise kick.

They had other chances, most notably when Croft’s pass sent James McDonnell into space, but the second-rower’s misjudged kick let Huddersfield off the hook. The hosts got a penalty in the next set and George Flanagan touched down, but Joe Greenwood’s pass was forward.

Having more or less weathered the early storm, Giants began to get a toe hold in the game, forcing a trio of drop-outs. Miller went short with the third of those and it was knocked-on by Giants.

Leeds’ first penalty of the half followed, then Connor was taken out as he chased his own kick and the ex-Huddersfield man took the two. That was four minutes before half-time and two later, Newman was fouled by Zac Woolford from Connor’s kick and - after Giants unsuccessfully challenged the decision - the scrum-half again booted the penalty, from 40 metres out.

The second half was all Leeds, though the breakthrough was slow to arrive. After much ineffective effort from Rhinos, Morgan Gannon - having switched into the halves - crossed on the hour, snapping up a loose pass by Miller and charging through a big gap.

Connor was off the field at that stage, so Miller added the extras. Sam Lisone got over the line in the final 10 minutes, but referee Tom Grant thought he was held up and Rhinos’ captain's challenge was ruled ‘inconclusive’ by video official Chris Kendall. The game seemed to drifting to a close when Leeds came up with a moment of the highest quality.

It had been an evening to forget for Miller, but with three minutes left, on the last tackle, he chipped over the defence, regathered and put Croft over for a belter, which the full-back also converted.

Then, on the final play, prop Mikolaj Oledzki crashed over, Kendall confirmed Grant’s call of try and Miller added the extras to wrap things up. After conceding the first two penalties, the count ended seven-three in Rhinos’ favour (four-two in the first half). They also received four six-agains to Giants’ one.

Huddersfield Giants: Flanagan, Halsall, Gagai, Jake Bibby, McGowan, Rush, Russell, Burgess, Woolford, Powell, Greenwood, Billington, Rushton. Subs Golding, King, Rogers, Land.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hall, Newman, Simpson, Hankinson, Croft, Connor, Cassell, O’Connor, Oledzki, Gannon, McDonnell, Watkins. Subs Lisone, Bentley, Jenkins, Shorrocks.

Referee: Tom Grant (Leeds). Attendance: 4,315.