One 9/10 in Leeds Rhinos player ratings as season ends in heartbreaking 16-14 loss to St Helens

Leeds were 14-12 up in the elimination play-off when they were penalised with five seconds left. The hooter sounded before the penalty was taken, but from the kick to touch the visitors kept the ball alive, managed to create an overlap on their left and Shane Wright touched down to win it in the most incredible fashion. It finished 16-14 and Saints didn’t bother with the conversion.

The defeat will hurt for a long time. Leeds were the better team, but couldn’t put the game to bed in the second half, having led 12-6 at half-time. The match officials had a big bearing on the game, particularly video referee Chris Kendall. He allowed two Saints captain’s challenges, the second of which led to a Rhinos try being disallowed. He also overruled whistler Jack Smith - who had been right on the spot - to award Jon Bennison a late touchdown, deciding there was clear evidence the ball had been grounded on the line. Saints should have been down to 12 men within 13 minutes left when Curtis Sironen dropped a hand in James McDonnell’s face, but Leeds were awarded only a penalty. The final count was eight-five in Saints’ favour.

Leeds led from the 12th minute until the 81st. Chris Hankinson made two early errors, being tackled into touch and dropping a high kick, but made no mistake with the first opportunity of the game, finishing well at the corner from Ash Handley’s pass after terrific handling across the line by Keenan Palasia, Jake Connor and Lachie Miller.

Handley, who is set to undergo surgery on the groin injury which kept him out of four successive games before the play-off, had a fine match and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. McDonnell, fresh from being named in the Betfred Super League Dream, was particularly good and Keenan Palasia, named at prop, ended his first season as a Leeds player with a strong performance.

Saints levelled after 23 minutes with a freak try totally out of the blue. Jack Welsby’s kick was taken by Sironen ahead of Ryan Hall; he offloaded towards Morgan Knowles and the ball rebounded over the line for Jonny Lomax to touchdown. It was handed on to video referee Kendall as a try and he gave the green light. Mark Percival’s kick from in front cancelled out Connor’s earlier touchline conversion.

Leeds’ response was excellent. Palasia’s offload went via Miller and Brodie Croft to McDonnell and he went past three defenders for a really well-taken try which Connor improved. That completed the first half scoring, but - aided by five successive penalties - Saints were the more dangerous team in the 10 minutes before half-time and Leeds did well to keep them out.

Five minutes into the second half, Handley seemed to have scored from Connor’s pass. Referee Smith saw nothing wrong, but Saints challenged - claiming an obstruction by Morgan Gannon - and Kendall again ruled in their favour, disallowing the touchdown and awarding them a penalty. The defeat meant it was the final game in Leeds’ colours for Gannon and Sam Lisone.

Connor extended Leeds’ advantage with a penalty 17 minutes from time after he was tackled high, but the decision to award Bennison’s try, which the same player converted, with five minutes left gave Saints hope and ultimately, Leeds couldn’t make one last tackle after a big defensive effort.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hall, Newman, Handley, Hankinson, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Palasia, Gannon, McDonnell, Watkins. Subs Lisone, Bentley, Holroyd, Jenkins.

St Helens:Sailor, Cross, Percival, Robertson, Bennison, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Sironen, Whitley, Knowles. Subs Delaney, Mbye, Bell, Wright.

Referee: Jack Smith (Wigan). Attendance: 11,108.