Leeds Rhinos 34 Hull KR 8: Hosts land another psychological blow to strengthen Super League credentials
Super League titles are not won in June but the groundwork is laid during the regular season.
Leeds Rhinos have put down a marker this month, adding Hull KR to the scalps of St Helens and Warrington Wolves.
For the Robins, meanwhile, the psychological scars are beginning to accumulate. They have now lost their last four fixtures against the Rhinos, the latest defeat coming just weeks after they relinquished their grip on the Challenge Cup.
This was not quite Las Vegas revisited but the manner of the loss leaves Rovers with more mental baggage as the business end of the campaign comes into view.
Willie Peters' side were architects of their own downfall at Headingley, gifting Leeds the initiative with a costly first-half performance they never recovered from.
For their part, the Rhinos were clinical and physically dominant as they strengthened both their League Leaders' Shield credentials and their grip on a fixture that could yet be replayed when the stakes are at their highest.
On a night when Leeds celebrated the life of Rob Burrow in their MND Awareness Game, the hosts secured the result they craved and provided another example of the consistency Brad Arthur has been demanding.
Rovers arrived with the best defensive record in the competition but they have now conceded 92 points in two matches against the Rhinos, leaving the champions with a psychological hurdle to overcome as well as a physical one.
Maika Sivo took his tally for the season to 29 tries with another double to match Paul Sterling's club record of scoring in nine successive Super League games.
The upshot is that Leeds are six points clear of their third-placed rivals in the table – a healthy buffer with 11 rounds remaining.
Once again, questions will be asked of KR's ability to handle injury adversity.
The Robins have enjoyed the luxury of continuity under Peters but their squad is beginning to creak as the casualty list grows.
Already without Jez Litten, Jesse Sue, Sam Luckley, Joe Burgess and Arthur Mourgue, Peters saw Dean Hadley and Tom Amone leave the field inside five minutes after a nasty clash of heads.
Amone returned later in the first half but Hadley failed his HIA in an unwelcome repeat of Wembley.
It was a familiar story for Rovers who again struggled to cope without their talismanic forward.
Peters' men met fire with fire in a full-blooded opening that was high on intensity but low on quality. However, they were particularly sloppy in possession and guilty of the kind of ill-discipline that has crept into their game all too often.
The outstanding Jake Connor and Rhyse Martin exchanged early penalties before Leeds took a firm grip on the contest.
A second Connor penalty nudged the Rhinos back ahead and the missteps continued from the Robins.
Mikey Lewis had already inadvertently taken a restart dead when he missed touch from a penalty.
In the next set, Chris Hankinson finished Connor's grubber kick to score for the fifth successive game.
Having waited 31 minutes for their first try, Leeds were soon celebrating their second.
Sivo, who was earlier bundled into touch by Tevita Pangai Jr, made no mistake when Connor's looping pass offered him a walk-in.
To compound KR's woes, former Rhinos back-rower Martin saw yellow for interference on the final play of the half.
Connor kicked his third penalty to give Leeds an 18-2 lead that they were never going to relinquish.
Any lingering Hull KR hope disappeared when Lachie Miller's restart was allowed to bounce dead by Jack Broadbent.
Tyrone May denied Danny Levi with a last-ditch tackle but there was no stopping Sivo on the next play.
The Headingley faithful were singing about Old Trafford long before the final hooter, convinced this could finally be their year.
Rovers enjoyed a rare moment of cheer when Noah Booth, who had KR's only first-half chance, went over in the corner from May's classy pass.
But the respite lasted just two minutes as Connor pounced on an error by Jai Whitbread to race away and score his first of the season.
Ash Handley got in on the act thanks to an improvised kick from Connor before Mikolaj Oledzki, whose typically strong carry had left KR in scramble mode for his captain's try, had an effort ruled out for obstruction.
But the disappointment was fleeting for the dominant hosts, who produced another performance that suggested the balance of power in Yorkshire is beginning to shift.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hall, Newman, Handley, Sivo, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, Levi, Palasia, Hankinson, McDonnell, Watkins. Substitutes: Jenkins, O'Connor, Smith, Holroyd.
Tries: Hankinson (31), Sivo (36, 45), Connor (58), Handley (70).
Goals: Connor 7/7, Miller 0/1.
Hull KR: Broadbent, Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Booth, Lewis, May, Hadley, Lawton, Amone, Whitbread, Batchelor, Minchella. Substitutes: Martin, Dezaria, Leyland, Pangai Jr.
Tries: Booth (56).
Goals: Martin 2/2.
Sin bin: Martin (40).
Referee: Chris Kendall.