Leeds Rhinos 12 Hull FC 18: Alarm bells deafening as hosts fall flat in latest Headingley defeat
If alarm bells weren't ringing already, they certainly are now.
The questions about Leeds Rhinos' big-game mentality resurfaced after Wigan Warriors cruised to victory in last week's League Leaders' Shield decider.
After suffering a shock defeat to lowly Hull FC, there is now genuine doubt over whether the Rhinos have anything left to give in the play-offs.
Brad Arthur's team set the pace for much of the regular season but appear to be running on empty on the final stretch.
Make no mistake, this was another damaging result for Leeds, even if the table said otherwise.
The Rhinos were already guaranteed to finish second and host a semi-final in a fortnight's time but this game had taken on a different significance after back-to-back home defeats.
They now face the prospect of a do-or-die clash under the lights at Headingley having lost their last three games in front of their own fans – not to mention their dismal knockout record against Super League opposition.
At the end of a long regular season that has transformed the mood around the club, Friday's clash with Hull appeared to be little more than an exercise in restoring some confidence for Leeds.
Instead, the nightmare continued as Hull exposed some of the same frailties that had surfaced against Wigan.
The Rhinos dominated possession and territory but looked a shadow of the team that racked up more points than any of their rivals during the regular season, failing to stretch their visitors in a clunky performance.
Whether it was a hangover from last week or an inspired Hull display, this was another worrying result for Arthur to consider.
The two-week break could not have come soon enough.
The Black and Whites were good value for the win as they completed a remarkable double over the Rhinos in an otherwise forgettable campaign.
After shipping 30 unanswered first-half points at Toulouse Olympique last time out, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Hull when they allowed Jake Connor's kick-off to bounce into touch.
But the Airlie Birds saw off the early pressure and visibly grew in confidence against their anxious hosts.
Jack Bird's disallowed try aside, Hull comfortably handled everything Leeds threw at them in the early stages.
The away side had already spurned a golden opportunity through Davy Litten by the time Logan Moy opened the scoring.
Tom Briscoe – making the final appearance of his decorated career against his old club – poked his nose through the line and Moy was in support to jink his way in.
The Rhinos failed to muster anything in the way of a response until Chris Hankinson took the direct route half an hour in, picking the ball up from dummy-half and powering over from close range.
Leeds spent the rest of the half huffing and puffing but lacked the attacking verve to truly threaten Hull's spirited rearguard.
The returning Maika Sivo lacked match sharpness when opportunities presented themselves. He was bundled into touch for a second time shortly after the restart.
If anything summed up Leeds' malaise, it was the sight of Connor's short drop-out going wrong and Lloyd Kemp darting his way over to spark jubilant scenes in the away end.
Hull deserved their lead and defended it with vigour, albeit facing a disjointed attack.
The dominant Rhinos continued to splutter and their frustrations continued when Bird had another try disallowed for a knock-on by Connor.
Youngster Lennon Clark delivered the final blow after Leeds failed to deal with Jake Arthur's high kick.
The Rhinos scored a late consolation through Kallum Watkins but there was no masking another concerning performance by the title hopefuls.
Leeds Rhinos: Handley, Hall, Newman, Bird, Sivo, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O'Connor, Lodge, Cassell, Hankinson, Palasia. Substitutes: Smith, Watkins, Jenkins, Holroyd.
Tries: Hankinson (30), Watkins (78).
Goals: Connor 2/2.
Hull FC: Moy, Barron, Litten, Briscoe, Martin, Bailey, Arthur, Ese'ese, Kemp, Hill, Romano, O'Neill, Bell. Substitutes: Hardaker, Laidlaw, Salabio, Clark.
Tries: Moy (21), Kemp (52), Clark (73).
Goals: Kemp 3/3.
Referee: Aaron Moore.