Brad Arthur's standards remain sky high despite Leeds Rhinos rout of Bradford Bulls

The Rhinos ran in nine tries at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium to open up a four-point advantage at the top of Super League.

However, there were some shaky moments for the leaders as Bradford breached their defence three times.

Arthur kept any frustration in check after a demanding June that brought victories over St Helens, Warrington Wolves and Hull KR.

"I thought we started well and built the game nicely," said the Leeds boss following the 50-16 triumph in Liverpool.

"We probably didn't finish it off how we wanted to but it's been a big month – we've been at a high level of intensity for a month.

"We got some things wrong defensively but I don't want to be overcritical. We've got high expectations but that's how we want to play."

Ash Handley produced a captain's performance on the big stage, completing his hat-trick in the final minute after unselfishly laying on tries for Jake Connor and Maika Sivo, who set a new club record by scoring in 10 successive Super League games.

Arthur championed Handley's case for a place in England's World Cup squad later this year.

"Every week Ash just does the same for us and his leadership goes from strength to strength," said Arthur.

"He's one of the first guys I'd be considering for England. He's got the complete game for me and sets the highest standards.

"Maika's record had been talked about and it shows how much he means to the group that Ash put him over."

Veteran winger Ryan Hall suffered an injury scare and could be seen leaving the stadium in a protective boot and on crutches.

"We're hoping he's ruptured his plantar fascia," said Arthur.

"If that’s the case, it'll probably be a couple of weeks; if it (the plantar fascia) is still hanging on, it might be a little bit longer.

"We won’t know that until tomorrow (Monday)."

Bradford responded through Ethan Ryan's brace and Caleb Aekins' first-half try but they were well beaten on their Magic Weekend return.

While he took heart from a second-half purple patch, Kurt Haggerty admitted the Bulls were not good enough to stay with the Rhinos.

"We were very poor in the first half," said Haggerty. "We showed a lack of resilience, especially in the last 15 minutes.

"We responded in the second half. There was a point in the game where it started to swing a little bit but it wasn't for long enough.

"Overall, there was a lot of effort and commitment, just not enough quality."

Sunday's clash highlighted the gulf between the rivals but Haggerty has Leeds in his sights.

"The biggest thing I'm thinking is: how do the Bulls bridge the gap and get close to the Rhinos?" he added. "We're not there yet.

"There's a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes to bridge that gap and get there quickly. We've got to go through a tough period this year but we'll come back bigger, stronger – and it'll be quickly."