Peter Smith's Leeds Rhinos player ratings from outstanding 34-6 win at St Helens

The 34-6 victory ended a four-game losing run away to Saints and left Rhinos within touching distance of a home semi-final. It’s Leeds’ first home and away double over the Merseyside outfit since 2015 and their biggest margin of victory at these opponents.

The game was tight for half an hour, but a stunning Cameron Smith try swung the game in Leeds’ favour and they were dominant after that. The only concerns for Rhinos were Danny Levi’s failure to get through his return from injury - the hooker lasting only 13 minutes off the bench in the second half - and a heavy penalty count against them.

Rhinos have been disciplined this year, but conceded five penalties and three set re-starts in the first 26 minutes. The penalty count was six-one at half-time and finished eight-three in Saints’ favour. They also received five set-restarts to Leeds’ three, so to restrict the home team to one, breakaway, try was a fine effort.

It was a game Leeds, whose much stronger bench made a big difference, never looked like losing. Ryan Hall pounced on a Saints error to snuff out the hosts’ first attack and establish field position for the opening try, scored by Chris Hankinson off Jake Connor’s superb pass on the last.

Saints then lost Daniel Suluka-Fifita to the sin-bin after 15 minutes for an off the ball foul on Presley Cassell who had to go off for a head injury assessment, though he was able to return. The hosts came closest to scoring during the next 10 minutes, Deon Cross getting over the line, but Tristan Sailor’s pass was well forward.

It was nip and tuck for most of the opening period, but two tries in the final eight minutes sent Rhinos into the break with a firm grip on the game. A moment of magic from Smith doubled Leeds’ lead. The substitute broke past three defenders, stepped another and somehow managed to keep his arm up to stretch over after he hit the deck just short of the line.

Five minutes later Harry Newman forced a drop out. In the resulting set, Rhinos moved the ball left and former Leeds man Nene Macdonald went for an intercept from Brodie Croft which would probably have led to a try at the other end if he’d made it. He didn’t - Connor got to the ball instead, juggled and passed on to Ash Handley and he sent Newman over to make it 18-0.

Leeds thought they had gone further ahead two minutes into the second half, but Tom Holroyd’s touchdown from Smith’s pass - awarded by referee Marcus Griffiths - was ruled out by video official Jack Smith, because of a knock-on. No matter. On 47 minutes Jack Bird slipped out a wonderful pass to put Hall in.

A long-range try by Jack Welsby, which Sailor converted, gave the hosts brief hope but that was extinguished by two Connor kicks. Handley did remarkably well to collect the first and slide over the line; the second hit a post and rebounded to Brodie Croft for his 28th try of the season. Connor’s fifth conversion completed the scoring with 17 minutes left, though he hit a post with a late penalty.

St Helens: Sailor, Douglas, Macdonald, Welsby, Cross, Robertson, Lomax, Suluka-Fifita, Shorrocks, Klemmer, Wright, Davies, Host. Subs Walmsley, Humphreys, Keeley, Evans.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hall, Bird, Handley, Newman, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Jenkins, Watkins, Hankinson, Cassell. Subs Holroyd, Smith, Levi, Lodge.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes). Attendance: 11,558.