Leeds Rhinos 44 Hull KR 14: Hall hat-trick sees Leeds return to winning ways against Robins

Winger Ryan Hall scored a hat-trick of tries as Leeds returned to winning ways with an eight-try romp in a Headingley deluge.

The Rhinos went into the game looking for a big improvement after losing their last two and conceding 42 points in each, while Rovers had the encouragement of a 17-10 victory over neighbours Hull a week earlier.

Leeds included five players on the team-sheet who saw action in Friday night’s International Origin clash – England trio Ryan Hall, Jamie Peacock and Kevin Sinfield and Exiles Danny Buderus and Kylie Leuluai – while Rovers had the advantage of a free week to prepare.

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Coach Brian McDermott named Buderus and Leuluai among the replacements, while Clint Newton was on Rovers’ bench after returning last week from three months out with knee and calf injuries.

Coach Brian McDermott praised the commitment of his internationals.

“They should be proud of themselves but I didn’t regard it as a risk playing them so soon after the International Origin game,” McDermott said.

“They will be carried around in a sack cart over the next few days.

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“It would be bad for them if they did it every week but they have professional, experienced conditioning coaches and medical people who know what they are doing.

“It is a big feat but not something they can’t do.”

McDermott singled out Ryan Bailey for special praise after a storming game in the pack but sounded a note of caution by admitting: “I am not getting over-excited.

“No-one in our dressing room is punching the air thinking everything is all right again because it isn’t, but we did manage the conditions and the game well.”

With surface water on the pitch and rain continuing to fall, conditions were not conducive to expansive rugby but Leeds were quickly into their stride and Rob Burrow sent Lee Smith in at the corner after only six minutes, Sinfield adding the goal.

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Understandably, both teams made handling errors, losing possession at vital times, but they still gave the ball plenty of air in entertaining fashion.

Ben Galea and Kris Welham combined to send Ben Cockayne aqua-planing over the Leeds line but Michael Dobson’s conversion attempt failed and Leeds increased their advantage when Hall leapt to catch Brent Webb’s long pass and touch down too far out for Sinfield to add the goal.

Weller Hauraki showed some neat footwork to wrong-foot the Robins’ defence and grab Leeds’s third try, leaving Sinfield the simple task of adding the goal, but Rovers ended the first half strongly and reduced the deficit to six points with Welham’s 17th Super League try of the season.

Following up his own kick, the centre touched down for the seventh successive match and Dobson landed his first successful kick of the game to make the half-time score 16-10 to the Rhinos.

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Leeds hit back immediately after the break, the ball squirming out of Cockayne’s grasp for Danny McGuire to collect and sprint to the line unopposed, Sinfield’s goal taking the score to 22-10.

Rovers then produced one of the best passing moves of the game for centre Craig Hall to score in the right corner, only for Ryan Hall to grab his second try of the game for the Rhinos. Sinfield was in fine kicking form, landing his fourth goal from five attempts.

And the Leeds captain was only just wide with a touchline effort after McGuire, Sinfield and Brett Delaney combined to send winger Zak Hardaker in at the right corner.

Leeds were in unstoppable mood, Ryan Hall completing his hat-trick with a try in the left corner before Hardaker became a try-maker with a splendid burst before passing inside for centre Delaney to score Leeds’s eighth try as the Robins capitulated.

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“Leeds adapted to the conditions better than we did. In those conditions you are going to make errors and ours cost us tries,” said Rovers coach Justin Morgan.

“After the try we scored just before half-time I thought we were well and truly in the game but we started the second half as poorly as we possibly could and we just couldn’t grab it after that.

“We had an opportunity to put another good performance together after the win against Hull but we came up short.

“We play Warrington next and they are a very good side but we have to dust ourselves down because you can’t walk around feeling sorry for yourself. Next weekend is a whole new challenge. The issue for us at the moment is that the peaks and troughs in our performances are too steep. The difference between a good and bad performance is very drastic for us at the moment.”

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Leeds: Webb, Hardaker, Smith, Delaney, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, McShane, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield. Substitutes: Hauraki, Buderus, Kirke, Leuluai.

Hull KR: Briscoe, Cockayne, Welham, Hall, Colbon, Green, Dobson, Vella, Hodgson, Wheeldon, Galea, Lovegrove, Murrell. Substitutes: Netherton, Fisher, Taylor, Newton.

Referee: R Hicks (RFL).