Hardaker left searching for Leeds positives

Rhinos were beaten 38-4 by Australian champions North Queensland Cowboys, completing a 3-0 whitewash for the NRL in the World Club Series.

Injury-hit Rhinos matched the Aussies in the first half and it was 4-4 at half-time, but there was no stopping the Cowboys in the second period when they ran in six unanswered tries.

Hardaker said: “I thought we were the better team in the first half. We were unlucky not to get more points on the board, but it doesn’t really matter what happens in the first half, it is what happens in the second that counts.”

Cowboys, who had the wind in their favour after half-time, scored within a minute of the resumption and Leeds never got back into the game.

“It was a bit of a soft try to concede,” Hardaker admitted.

“I’m not sure what the difference was in the second half, but they got a bit of a roll on.

“They were winning the rucks and winning the tackles and we could not recover.

“Within 10 minutes they scored two tries and heads go down after that.

“I try to pick people up as much as I can and encourage them to keep going, but they were just too good for us towards the back end.”

Rhinos’ Australian prop Adam Cuthbertson said: “It is always tough losing, especially in a big game like this.

“We had a tough week with some players out, but we had a really good dig in the first half.”