A MAGNIFICENT try from Danny McGuire, a score from Rob Burrow which was even more dazzling and an inspired display of leadership from Kevin Sinfield saw Leeds Rhinos hold off the bold challenge of Canterbury Bulldogs to clinch the world title on a memorable night for the Super League champions.
Some enterprising play during an exhilarating first half laid the foundation for Leeds to win the Carnegie World Club Challenge, but not before they had been given an almighty fright by the NRL champions after the interval.
Five tries before the break, including Burrow's stunning score and a mercurial effort from McGuire, who bamboozled the Bulldogs on a 55-metre sprint after taking a sweet pass from Barrie McDermott, will live long in the memory.
And how they needed that 26-6 interval lead as Canterbury staged a stirring fightback to keep a crowd of 37,028 – a record for the competition in this country – hanging nervously on the end of their seats.
In spite of the valiant efforts of Sonny Bill Williams, whose uncanny knack of releasing the ball from the tackle kept the Leeds defence on tenterhooks, the Bulldogs had little bite before the break against opponents who at times looked to be in a league of their own.
Australians will point to many reasons for Canterbury's failure to compete on equal terms, not least the fact that they only arrived in England six days before with a side stripped of four internationals, but even the chippiest cobber could not deny that the NRL champions were pale imitations of their English counterparts during that crucial opening period.
The Bulldogs did claim one early try, Hazim El Masri scrambling over on the right after some probing play down the opposite flank by Williams, but by then they were already 12-0 down with Leeds scoring two tries of their own inside the opening 10 minutes.
The first was finished by Chev Walker, who capitalised on clever play by McGuire and Gareth Ellis to step nimbly around full-back Luke Patten, whose clumsy attempt to trap a deep kick from Sinfield with his foot then saw Mark Calderwood steal in to hack the ball ahead and win the race to touch down.
McGuire's scintillating score halted Canterbury's brief renaissance before Willie Poching added the finish to an opportune move involving Walker and Calderwood, who produced a nifty piece of footwork which would put to shame many of the stars who normally grace Elland Road.
But the best was yet to come from Leeds and on the stroke of half-time the crowd was brought to its feet by a dazzling move which saw eight players handle the ball before Burrow spun through for the try of the night.
Some strong words from their coach Steve Folkes brought a notable improvement from the Bulldogs after the restart and, aided by some favourable refereeing from Australian official Shaun Hampstead, they added further tries through Patten, El Masri, Tony Grimaldi and Jamaal Lolesi, twice, to set up a tense finish.
Leeds had cause to be grateful for some sloppy play by Canterbury early in the half with Patten's hesitation allowing Richie Mathers to pounce on a low kick to the posts by McGuire while Jamie Jones-Buchanan probably could not believe his luck when El Masri threw a suicidal pass inside his own in-goal for the substitute to grab a simple try.
The Bulldogs showed how dangerous they can be if given the space with a burst of four tries to leave Leeds worried – and with just cause – but a 78th-minute drop-goal from Sinfield settled the matter and the Rhinos had the trophy their first-half efforts merited.
john.ledger@ypn.co.uk
Leeds Rhinos: Mathers; Calderwood, Walker, Senior, Bai; Sinfield, McGuire; Bailey, Dunemann, Ward, Jones-Buchanan, McKenna, Ellis. Substitutes: Burrow, Lauitiiti, McDermott, Poching.
Canterbury Bulldogs: Patten; El Masri, Lolesi, Tonga, Cutler; Anasta, Hughes; Armit, Perry, Asotasi, Maitua, Williams, Grimaldi. Substitutes: Oliver, Czislowski, Myles, Brideson.
Referee: S Hampstead (Australia).