Keinhorst hat-trick stuns Tigers and ends Rhinos’ losing streak

JIMMY KEINHORST, a player who has spent much of this season operating at Hunslet Hawks, returned to Headingley last night to claim a hat-trick and end Leeds Rhinos’ run of four successive defeats.

The abrasive centre, who first came to the club’s attention while playing for Leeds Metropolitan University two years ago, twice got on the end of quality Ryan Hall assists after replica Kevin Sinfield kicks to the corner to keep an always dangerous Castleford Tigers side just at bay.

Keinhorst, who had not played for the Super League champions since February, had also showed a neat turn of pace to exploit a gap for his first-half opener.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There have been critics of the dual-registration system this term but the 22-year-old, for one, has clearly benefitted from some regular first-team action in the Championship while he has awaited his chance.

That opportunity duly arrived due to Leeds’s injury crisis which worsened last night when Samoan prop Kylie Leuluai, Brett Delaney and Jamie Jones-Buchanan all suffered knee injuries which puts in doubt their places in the Exiles game with England on Friday.

Their England full-back Zak Hardaker, though, did produce an exciting display including a quality 60m individual try while Jamie Peacock, initially not named in the 19-man squad, made a surprise return from his own knee problem fully five weeks ahead of schedule.

Castleford, seeking their first-ever Super League double over their West Yorkshire rivals, trailed just 28-24 with seven minutes to go before late tries from Ian Kirke and Joel Moon unfairly perhaps stretched out the winning margin.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They will rue some missed opportunities to profit earlier – Leeds made a lot of mistakes befitting a side in such a rut – and they were constantly threatening with Rangi Chase’s maverick creativity and Weller Hauraki’s strong running keeping the hosts guessing.

In the end, though, Daryl Powell could not gain the win he had hoped for on his first return to Headingley since departing as Leeds head coach in 2003.

Things did not start well for the visitors when 18-year-old winger Thomas Minns, with just his second touch on his Leeds debut, bundled over after just five minutes.

Castleford, who remain rooted in 12 spot, had demonstrated their potency earlier though when Chase fired out a long ball to unleash Kirk Dixon in the opening exchanges.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His winger ran out of pace and lost the ball under Kevin Sinfield’s tackle but when England half-back Chase sent out another searching delivery to put Michael Shenton into space down the opposite flank in the 12th minute, they earned some reward.

Ex-Rhino Hauraki surged up in support before throwing an outrageous dummy to deceive last man Hardaker and Jamie Ellis kicked the first of his four conversions.

Leeds, who had not lost five games on the bounce for seven years, struggled for cohesiveness but back-to-back tries just after the quarter mark gave them some belief. Keinhorst cut a perfect angle back off Rob Burrow’s inside pass to accelerate over just when they looked like they were going down another blind alley in the 21st minute.

In the next set, Hardaker then spotted another chink of space as he arced across field 10m inside his own half before getting on the outside of a stranded Jordan Thompson and straightening up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The full-back weighed up whether to take on Castleford opposite number Jordan Tansey, too, and quickly showed great pace to find another gear for a superb 60m try.

Sinfield improved both scores but as long as his side were coughing up possession, Castleford remained encouraged.

They struck again just before the break when hooker Daryl Clark twisted out of some abysmal defending on halfway to put Tansey in against his former club and the full-back was over again soon in the second period too.

This time it was Grant Millington who shrugged off a Leeds tackler to storm downfield, the Australian forward showing fine composure as Tansey arrived in support, just evading Hardaker’s desperate last-ditch attempt to deny him.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ellis converted but, as has been Castleford’s problem for much of this Super League season, they made a soft error in the very next set to allow Leeds an instant chance to respond.

Hauraki spilled under limited pressure and, soon after, Sinfield lofted an inch-perfect crossfield kick to Hall who accepted Dixon’s tackle but was still able to find Keinhorst.

Sinfield stretched the score to 22-18 and when he repeated the move in the 62nd minute it was enough for victory.

Craig Huby scored after a great offload from Hauraki to offer hope to the visiting fans but Kirke barged over for a rare try, Sinfield added a penalty and then Moon slid over onto Burrow’s grubber in the final seconds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Burrow, who switched between hooker and half-back, was another top performer for the champions in front of a season-best crowd of 17,035 while teenager Liam Sutcliffe also showed some assured touches when coming on at stand-off.

That bodes well given the pre-match news that Danny McGuire will be out for the rest of the season with a broken leg.

Leeds: Hardaker; Hall, Keinhorst, Moon, Minns; Sinfield, Burrow; Leuluai, McShane, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Delaney, Bailey. Substitutes: Kirke, Sutcliffe, Singleton, Achurch.

Castleford: Tansey; Clare, Shenton, Thompson, Dixon; Chase, Ellis; Walker, Milner, Huby, Holmes, Hauraki, Massey. Substitutes: Clark, Millington, Fleming, Boyle.

Referee: T Roby (York).