Peter Smith's Leeds Rhinos player ratings as Lachie Miller shines in huge 22-14 win at Leigh Leopards

Rhinos hit back from 8-0 down to complete a league double over their third-placed hosts in a terrific clash. The win lifted them a place to fourth in the table and they are now just a point behind the Leopards with six rounds remaining.

There’s some hard work still to be done, but on this form Rhinos look like a top-four side. It wasn’t a perfect display and at one stage they looked like being overrun, but it was definitely gutsy and they played some excellent rugby at times.

After a couple of early lapses, Rhinos defended magnificently under heavy pressure - most of it caused by errors in their own territory. Another positive was their discipline, conceding only one penalty. Leeds received five, two of those after video official Chris Kendall overturned on-field ref Jack Smith’s initial call.

Leeds appeared to have scored after just five minutes when Brodie Croft ran on to eventual man of the match Lachie Miller’s grubber kick. Both sets of players and referee Smith thought it was a try, but Kendall decided there was clear evidence of separation between Croft’s hand and the ball. From the press seats at least, it looked like the wrong decision, in shades of the previous fixture between the sides when Leeds’ Alfie Edgell had a touchdown disallowed in similar circumstances.

Leeds could feel aggrieved, but had only themselves to blame for the two tries they conceded in five minutes soon afterwards. Ash Handley - uncharacteristically - missed a tackle on Umyla Hanley extracted a four-point punishment. Then debutant Chris Hankinson was shoved into touch from a kick 20 metres out and in the next set he shot out of the line and Keenan Brand went through the resulting gap.

A 40-20 kick by Jake Connor - followed by a penalty for an obstruction from Croft’s kick - turned the game, Miller - who seemed hemmed in - producing a moment of magic to cut through for a brilliant solo touchdown.

Rhinos’ second try, four minutes before the break, was more route-one. Bailey Hodgson spilled Connor’s kick to give Leeds an extra six and Sam Lisone, fresh off the bench, smashed his way over the line in a repeat of his try against Wakefield in the previous round. Connor landed the first goal of the game to give Rhinos a 10-8 interval lead.

They increased that four minutes after the interval with a spectacular score. A high tackle on Croft provided the opportunity; on the final play, Connor chipped a kick towards the posts and Harry Newman made the catch before slipping out a pass to send James Bentley between the posts. Connor converted, but Leeds then started making errors in their own territory.

Some superb defence - and a bit of luck - limited Leigh to one try, through Brand with 27 minutes left. Gareth O’Brien’s touchline goal made it a two-point ball game and Leigh seemed to have gone ahead when Hodgson crossed on 64 minutes.

Referee Smith said try, but this time Kendall came to Rhinos’ rescue, disallowing it for an alleged obstruction. Moments earlier, Leigh had been awarded a penalty, but Leeds challenged that and the decision was reversed, after Kendall spotted a high tackle on Newman by Tesi Niu which Smith had missed.

Leigh almost snatched it with four minutes left. Josh Charnley looked certain to score, but he spilled Lachlan Lan’s kick, Leeds went to the other end, Kallum Watkins teed up Miller, he scorched into space and Croft was on hand to take the final pass. Connor’s third goal completed a memorable win.

Leigh Leopards: Hodgson, Brand, Niu, Hanley, Charnley, O’Brien, Lam, Trout, Ipape, Ofahengaue, Halton, Hughes, Liu. Subs McNamara, Mulhern, Davis, O’Neill.

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

Referee: Jack Smith (Wigan). Attendance: 8,655.