One 9/10, 5 get 8/10 in Peter Smith's Leeds Rhinos player ratings from 22-18 win v Wakefield Trinity

Rhinos almost blew it, having led 22-6 at the break, but in the end two penalty goals by Jake Connor just before the interval proved decisive. Outplayed in the first 40, Trinity roared back; Max Jowitt scored two well-taken tries and Wakefield threw everything at Leeds in a frantic finale, but the hosts dug deep and just managed to hang on for a precious win.

The hosts were reduced to 12 players two minutes from time when James Bentley was sin-binned, but the visitors couldn’t come up with another score to snatch it. Though Wakefield were the better side in the second half, Leeds found a way to win and it was more evidence of their growth as a team. They will go into the second half of the season sitting third in Betfred Super League, without yet having played the sort of attacking rugby of which they are capable.

Watched by a crowd of 15,387 and a national audience on BBC 2,it was a good advertisement for Betfred Super League and a fitting contest for Rhinos’ annual motor neurone disease awareness game. These are two teams on the up and both could be competing for honours in the next season or two.

Leeds drew first blood after nine minutes when Connor kicked across field on the last and Harry Newman made a superb catch to score his third try in two games. Leeds extended their lead after 21 minutes when Connor’s footwork close to the line wrong-footed Josh Griffin.

The Rhinos pivot added his second conversion and Trinity were in danger of being overrun, but replied almost immediately, off a Leeds mistake. James McDonnell spilled the ball inside his own half and Lachlan Walmsley went over from Corey Hall’s pass in the resulting set. Jowitt converted from the touchline.

Wakefield would have been delighted to go in at the break six behind, but Rhinos scored 10 points in the final seven minutes of the half to put clear daylight between the teams. Riley Lumb touched down at the corner off Ash Handley’s pass after nice work by Lachie Miller and Connor goaled from wide out. A foul by Jowitt on Croft as the Leeds man put boot to ball gave Connor a simple two points and he added another penalty with the final kick of the period.

Trinity questioned the ruling of a ball steal on McDonnell, but video referee Tom Grant decided the evidence was ‘inconclusive’, so the decision stood and Wakefield retained their challenge. Rhinos lost theirs in the opening quarter after being penalised on their own line for an obstruction.

The outstanding Miller didn’t appear in the second half, having picked up a calf muscle injury. Connor shifted to full-back and Rhinos lost their way. They didn’t play particularly badly, but Trinity had all the momentum after getting themselves back into the game through some smart work by Jowitt 10 minutes after the break when he dabbed a kick over the line and followed up to ground the ball and then add the extras.

With 15 minutes left Jowitt scored again, off good work from Corey Hall. Both Kendall and Grant rejected Leeds’ claims of an obstruction on Bentley in the build-up. Jowitt’s conversion made it a four-point ball game and Bentley’s yellow card, for a late hit on Jay Pitts, handed Wakefield a last chance, but Leeds held on.

Bentley’s sin-binning led to the only penalty of the second half, bizarrely. Rhinos received three in first period to Trinity’s one. Set-restarts were two-one to Rhinos.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, R Hall, Newman, Handley, Lumb, Connor, Croft , Palasia, O’Connor, Oledzki, McDonnell, Bentley, Watkins. Subs Holroyd, Lisone, Jenkins, C Smith.

Wakefield Trinity: Rourke, Walmsley, C Hall, Pratt, Johnstone, Jowitt, Lino, McMeeken, Hood, Faatili, Nikotemo, Griffin, Pitts. Subs Scott, Vagana, Cozza, H Smith.

Referee: Chris Kendall (Huddersfield). Attendance: 15,387.