Leeds Rhinos' Kevin Sinfield says "we've no excuses" after season-ending loss

They lost their elimination play-off 26-14 at Halliwell Jones Stadium so it is the French side who go on to visit St Helens next Friday for a place in the Betfred Super League Grand Final.

Leeds gave a gutsy effort especially considering they lost both starting props Ava Seumanufagai and Mikolaj Oledzki to head injuries in the opening half-hour and were left with just two fit replacements for the rest of the game.

However, the Challenge Cup holders - who finished fifth a place behind Catalans - were also 18-0 down by that point after Sam Tomkins terrorised them to set up three tries.

“I thought we gave ourselves too much to do,” said Sinfield, who was standing in at the press conference for Richard Agar, the head coach who missed the game along with assistant Jamie Jones-Buchanan due to track and trace reasons.

“There’s an old saying ‘you don’t win big games early on, but you can certainly lose them’ and I thought that was very true.

“To be 18 behind in a game of that magnitude just made it too hard for us.

“Losing Ava and Mikolaj made it really tough, but I thought our effort was outstanding. We had a real go.

“At times our skill was off and a t crucial times we made some errors that invited Catalans to attack us, but the overriding thought is I am certainly proud of our efforts.”

There was some controversial calls, not least including Catalans hooker Michael McIlorum avoiding a card of any colour or even conceding a penalty for a reckless swinging arm on Brad Dwyer as Leeds got back to 18-10 early in the second period.

But Sinfield said: “We’ve had some experience of play-off rugby before.

“Things that would normally be penalties in the season aren’t normally penalties in these types of games so I understand that.

“We’ve no excuses at all tonight.

“But I am really proud. The club, our support base and our sponsors have shown in every way they can they absolutely believe in what we are doing and are fully behind us.

“The squad is as close as they’ve been for a number of years, the players like each other and the trust and honesty is back.”