Super Sivo stuns Hull KR in Las Vegas, Hall-time great & packing a punch: latest Leeds Rhinos talking points

It was one of those rare games when - from start to finish - everything went right and the result and performance will have made the rest of Betfred Super League sit up and take notice, though Rhinos can’t afford to get complacent at home to Castleford Tigers this Sunday. Here’s five talking points.

1: Maika difference. Given his try scoring prowess in the NRL - 104 touchdowns in 115 games for Parramatta Eels - the explosive start to Maika Sivo’s Super League career shouldn’t be a surprise. But nobody expected him to be this good just two games into his comeback from a year out with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Ryan Hall was Rhinos’ top try scorer last year with 13 and the barnstorming Fijian is almost half way there already. Opposing coaches will have their hands full devising a way of stopping Sivo when he gets the ball in his hands 10-20 metres from their line, something likely to happen on a regular basis playing outside Jake Connor.

For Leeds, the most exciting aspect of Sivo’s comeback is the fact he’s not yet fully match fit or at his best. Once he gets there, if he can avoid new injuries, the number of tries he could score is frightening.

2: Hall time great. Speaking of wingers, congratulations to Ryan Hall on his 350th career try, scored - fittingly - against one of his former teams. Hall’s next Leeds touchdown will be his 250th and make him the 15th player to reach 1,000 points for the club.

Danny McGuire’s 267 Leeds tries is still a long way off, but potentially achievable. Whether he gets there or not, only four players have scored more touchdowns for the club and Hall’s status as one of the club’s - and England’s - greatest wingers is assured.

3: Packing a punch. Backs grab the headlines, but the forwards lay a platform for any victory. Rhinos’ management feel, at full strength, there isn’t a better forward division in Super League and, to a man, Leeds’ pack were outstanding against the Robins.

To highlight just three, Keenan Palasia has proved to be a superb signing, Danny Levi’s attacking game gives Rhinos a new edge and Cooper Jenkins, averaging a try per game in Super League this year, is developing into a real handful.

When Leeds’ big men dominate, as they did in Vegas, the halves have time and space to do their thing and once they get the ball to the three-quarters, Rhinos are a tough team to keep out. It’s very early days, but this has the makings of an exciting year for Leeds fans.

4: Great expectations. Brad Arthur sounded a warning when he admitted “expectations will rise” following the manner of Rhinos’ victory over the reigning world - and everything else - champions. Leeds have certainly underlined their credentials as a team capable of winning silverware this season, which brings its own pressure. How they respond against Castleford Tigers on Sunday will be crucial and provide another indication of whether they are the real deal.

Though, like most weeks, two points were at stake, the match in Vegas felt like more than an ordinary game and a lot of emotion went into it. A Sunday home fixture is the best Leeds could ask for, but Tigers are off the mark after beating Huddersfield Giants and tend to raise their game against Rhinos, so it’s another good challenge.

5: Prep talk. Saturday was a tough assignment, not just due to the quality of the opposition. Rhinos played on Friday the previous week and flew to Las Vegas three days later. On top of the jet lag, they had to handle some unfamiliar experiences - most notably the amazing Fan Fest in Fremont Street - and all the other distractions Sin City provides.

After all that, to go out and play as well as Rhinos did is huge credit not only to the players for their attitude, but also the staff, led by Brad Arthur and his assistants Jamie Langley and Scott Grix and including the physio and strength and conditioning team. Rhinos couldn’t have been much better prepared and they got their reward. It was a good indication of how well Leeds’ rugby operation is running at the moment.

The Yorkshire Evening Post’s coverage of Leeds Rhinos in Las Vegas is in association with Betfred Super League. Saturday’s showdown between Rhinos and Hull KR at Allegiant Stadium is an early highlight of a packed year of club rugby league action which also includes the Challenge Cup final at Wembley on May 30, Magic Weekend’s blockbuster return to Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 4-5 and the Super League Grand Final on October 3 at Old Trafford. Experience live Super League. League Hits Different. To guarantee your place, visit Super League | Tickets.