Marching on Together in Las Vegas: Leeds Rhinos send statement to Super League on brightest stage
Leeds Rhinos are back – and they chose the brightest stage of all to prove it.
In the neon glare of Las Vegas, they dismantled Hull KR 58–6 in a performance as ruthless as it was emphatic.
This was the Rhinos at their scintillating best and Rovers – fresh from completing the set of trophies with a famous World Club Challenge win – simply had no answer.
Leeds have fallen on hard times since winning their eighth Super League title in 2017. On this evidence, those days may finally be behind them.
After spending the week in the shadow of the defending champions and quadruple winners, the Rhinos flexed their muscles and reminded everyone of their place in Super League's hierarchy.
Hull KR, meanwhile, were unrecognisable from the side that stunned Brisbane Broncos nine days earlier.
It was almost the perfect storm: a week in the spotlight, relentless off-field demands and the lingering emotional and physical toll of toppling the NRL champions. By kick-off, the edge that has defined Willie Peters' reign was missing.
Saturday, though, belonged emphatically to Leeds.
In the entertainment capital of the world, Brad Arthur's side put on one hell of a show.
It was not perfection – the ball spent time on the ground as they threw caution to the wind – but the Rhinos were committed to producing a spectacle that would stay with any locals in attendance at Allegiant Stadium.
By the time Stephen Crichton kicked a winning drop goal for Canterbury Bulldogs in the final seconds of golden point, the crowd had witnessed a full day of chaos, brilliance and pure entertainment.
Wakefield native Dom Young was on the scoresheet for Newcastle Knights in their 28-18 victory over North Queensland Cowboys before the Bulldogs edged St George Illawarra Dragons 15-14 in a gripping finish.
There was something for everyone on a day that celebrated rugby league at its quirky best.
Hours earlier, fans flooded over the Hacienda Bridge with a sense of anticipation that only Las Vegas can provide.
A week like no other – from the explosion of noise at Fremont Street to the feel-good buzz on the Strip – had been building to this moment.
True to form, Hull KR and Leeds supporters were front and centre, bringing their own carnival of colour to Allegiant Stadium.
Only one group of fans went home happy.
After taking their Yorkshire rivalry 5,000 miles to Sin City, the Rhinos dominated Rovers to plant their flag on American soil.
Arthur spoke with quiet confidence in the build-up, heartened by last season's performances against the Robins.
Leeds won two of the three meetings and were good value for the points in the other. They are fast becoming a problem for Rovers after blitzing Peters' sluggish side in Vegas.
From the moment Arthur led an on-pitch huddle 90 minutes before kick-off, the Rhinos' focus was clear.
Leeds finished with 10 tries in a remarkably one-sided encounter, extending KR's wait for a win in Super League.
In a city famed for its razzmatazz, it was the quiet, unassuming Maika Sivo who stole the show.
The powerhouse winger scored four tries and produced an early contender for play of the season in the build-up to Ryan Hall's thrilling effort.
After missing the entire 2025 campaign with a serious knee injury, Sivo has quickly set about making up for lost time with six tries in his first two appearances for Leeds.
The swagger came from half-back pairing Jake Connor and Brodie Croft, two players who looked right at home under the bright lights of Sin City.
With music greeting every stoppage, the whole occasion felt different – even down to KR's lethargy.
The Rhinos raced into a 28-0 lead before half-time to leave the Rovers fans – who dominated the Vegas Strip in the build-up – shellshocked.
In front of a record 45,719 crowd for the event, the Robins couldn't live with Leeds' speed and enterprise.
It took Sivo just nine minutes to make his mark with a powerful finish from Connor's looping pass. When Sivo swatted Tom Davies aside for a second time soon after, the KR winger's head must have been spinning.
Croft and Keenan Palasia got in on the act before Sivo delivered the moment of the match, plucking a short drop-out from the sky and racing deep into Rovers territory. He was eventually hauled down but Leeds quickly shifted the ball out to the right where Hall finished.
The Robins couldn't even use the excuse of wilting in the heat, protected from the searing temperatures by a roof and air conditioning.
The Rhinos scored five more tries after half-time: another pair for Sivo, Croft's second and Cooper Jenkins' late double.
KR could only respond through Joe Burgess' try 15 minutes from time.
By the final whistle, Leeds had humbled Peters' Robins in a way no side had managed before.
Allegiant Stadium reverberated to Marching on Together, the perfect soundtrack to a day when the Rhinos left their rivals in the Nevada dust.
Hull KR: Broadbent, Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Amone, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella. Substitutes: Luckley, Whitbread, Martin, Lawton.
Tries: Burgess (65).
Goals: Martin 1/1.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Sivo, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Connor, Jenkins, Levi, Palasia, Watkins, McDonnell, Smith. Substitutes: O'Connor, Holroyd, Hankinson, Littlewood.
Tries: Sivo (9, 15, 55, 68), Croft (22, 51), Palasia (29), Hall (34), Jenkins (77, 79).
Goals: Connor 6/7, Hankinson 3/3.
Referee: Jack Smith.