Women’s Super League: Leeds Rhinos lose out to 12-player York City Knights

Rhinos’ fellow Women’s Super League challengers York played 40 minutes a player short after prop Rhiannon Marshall was sent off in the first half.

Tara Jane Stanley was the Knights star, scoring a try, while Alisha Clayton, Tamzin Renouf and Liv Wood all crossed. Zoe Hornby’s two tries for the Rhinos were in vain as they slid to defeat.

Both teams came into this match with unbeaten records and, while the Rhinos suffered their first setback, the Knights have now racked up three on the bounce to keep themselves top of the Group One table and, notably, with confidence-boosting wins over their biggest rivals.

The home side went behind to Hornby’s first score, well engineered by Georgia Roche with a drop-off play, but Stanley’s solo score in at the corner showed her remarkable footwork and skill. Both sets of forwards, in particular Grace Field for York and Leeds’ Danni Anderson, enjoyed a physical battle up top, before Marshall got into a confrontation with Rhinos half-back Jasmine Earnshaw-Cudjoe and both received cards, red and yellow respectively. Clayton’s score in the second half on the back of Hollie Dodd’s break belied the numerical advantage as York surged ahead.

They put Leeds under ample pressure but Lois Forsell’s side showed character to pull the score back through Hornby’s powerful burst from close range but Knights had the class to blow the scores out.

Also in the elite Group One, Wigan Warriors got their first league win of the season against a Huddersfield Giants side that were also yet to pick up a point, winning 30-18 away from home.

Elsewhere, in WSL Group Two, Barrow Raiders marked the sad passing of assistant coach Alex Broadhead with a 40-6 win over Leigh Miners Rangers.

Warrington Wolves made a big statement in their trip to Featherstone Rovers, winning 48-0 against their fellow Group Two title hopefuls.