Leeds Rhinos defeated Catalans Dragons 28-6 in Perpignan, marking their first victory at Stade Gilbert Brutus since the 2022 play-offs. The win in Round 18 of the Betfred Super League saw Brodie Croft achieve his second hat-trick of the season. Harry Newman and Lachie Miller also contributed tries in the first half.
The Rhinos established an early lead, with Harry Newman scoring the opening try in the eighth minute. Jake Connor’s conversion put the visitors ahead. Despite an initial bright start from the Dragons, Leeds quickly took control of the match.
Croft’s first try came after a period of pressure from Leeds, reacting to a dropped ball from Toby Sexton. Lachie Miller then scored his own try before the break, following a break from Jarrod O’Connor and an offload from Cameron Smith. Connor’s conversion extended Leeds’ lead to 16-0 at halftime.
Second-Half Dominance and Milestones
The second half saw continued strong play from the Rhinos. Brodie Croft added to his tally with two more tries, completing his hat-trick. His second try came around the hour mark, with Lachie Miller assisting. Croft’s third try was set up by Jarrod O’Connor after a mistake from Matthieu Laguerre.
Jake Connor successfully converted four of the five tries for Leeds. The Dragons managed a consolation try in the final minute through Ugo Tison, with Toby Sexton converting.
The match also celebrated several milestones for Rhinos players. Kallum Watkins played his 300th game for the club. Additionally, Danny Levi reached 200 career games, Jake Connor marked 300 career games, and Tom Holroyd played his 100th game.
The victory moves Leeds Rhinos four points clear of Wigan Warriors at the top of the table. This win extends their current streak to seven consecutive victories.
Team Line-ups and Other League Action
For the Dragons, the starting line-up included Charlie Staines, Nick Cotric, Matthieu Laguerre, Solomona Faataape, Leo Darrelatour, Toby Sexton, Lewis Dodd, Josh Allen, Kruise Leeming, Franck Maria, Edenn Rogers-Smith, Zac Lipowicz, and Julian Bousquet. Substitutes were Ben Condon, Romain Navarette, Harvey Wilson, and Ugo Tison.
The Rhinos started with Lachie Miller, Maika Sivo, Ash Handley, Harry Newman, Riley Lumb, Brodie Croft, Jake Connor, Mikolaj Oledzki, Danny Levi, Cooper Jenkins, Chris Hankinson, James McDonnell, and Kallum Watkins. The interchange players were Tom Holroyd, Jarrod O’Connor, Cameron Smith, and Presley Cassell.
In other Super League matches, Wakefield Trinity secured a 20-6 win against Hull KR at Craven Park, ending Hull KR’s year-long unbeaten home run. Caius Faatili scored two second-half tries for Wakefield, while Harvey Smith also scored for them. Leigh Leopards kept their play-off hopes alive with a 24-18 victory over Castleford Tigers. David Armstrong scored two tries for Leigh, and Lachlan Lam and Umyla Hanley also crossed the try line.
The upcoming Super League schedule includes Rivals Round from July 23-July 26, followed by the Elimination Play-offs on September 19-September 20.
The Play-off semi-finals are scheduled for September 26-September 27, leading up to the Grand Final on October 3.
Brad Arthur, the Leeds Rhinos head coach, had expressed his team’s focus on performance ahead of the match, downplaying previous records at Stade Gilbert Brutus. He noted that the team would take any scoring opportunities, including penalties, after an experience in a previous season.
Arthur also acknowledged the potential for a strong response from the Dragons following their recent defeat to Toulouse Olympique, preparing his team for an energetic start from the home side. He emphasized the difficulty of maintaining an 80-minute performance and the need to minimize errors during concentration lapses.
Maika Sivo of Leeds was on the verge of equaling a Super League record for consecutive games with a try, having scored in 10 successive matches before this fixture. However, Arthur clarified that while players might assist Sivo if an opportunity arose, the team’s performance was not solely based on getting the ball to him to score.
The Rhinos’ victory in Perpignan marks a significant moment in their season, further solidifying their position at the top of the league standings as they continue their strong run of form.
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Source: skysports.com
Leo Ashworth is a Sports News Writer at Latest News UK. He cut his teeth on regional sport before specialising in fast breaking-news writing. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Central Lancashire and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Newcastle, he follows the European Tour and boxes at an amateur gym. “Get it right first, then tell readers why it matters.”