Saints shocked as travelling Rhinos look to repeat play-off success

If LEEDS Rhinos need some inspiration ahead of their play-off fixture against Huddersfield Giants tonight, they should look no further than their stellar performance at Knowsley Road just over six years ago.

In one of the most captivating games in play-off history, Tony Smith’s side eventually upset the odds to overcome highly-rated Saints but only after an absorbing and nail-biting encounter.

Saints had won the League Leaders Shield, finishing three points above reigning champions Leeds in second, and so were deemed favourites to book their passage straight through to Old Trafford.

In the days of just six clubs formulating the play-offs, the leading two knew just one successful 80 minute performance would secure that outcome.

But, as Leeds brilliantly took control, comfortably 19-0 ahead with just 10 minutes remaining, it seemed their champion quality had come to the fore when it mattered most.

However, St Helens, even without their talismen Sean Long and Paul Sculthorpe, typically produced one of their stirring fightbacks as Australian centre Jamie Lyon scored twice late on to make for a dramatic conclusion.

Like this evening, the Rhinos were without their influential Great Britain centre Keith Senior who failed to recover from an ankle injury.

The heavy rain that night was making life difficult for the players, with every tackle bringing a splash of standing water.

The home side went close early on; Jason Hooper’s cross-kick found its way to Willie Talau out wide, but his dive to the corner was disallowed for a foot in touch.

Saints continued to pressure the Leeds line, and Paul Anderson went even closer when he powered over only to be held up by three Rhinos tacklers.

The Yorkshire club settled into the game first and had three back-to-back sets at the Saints line before an uncharacteristic error by Lyon – soon to be named Man of Steel and Players’ Player of the Year – allowed Danny McGuire to open the scoring on 14 minutes.

St Helens went close again through Maurie Fa’asavalu and Kieron Cunningham but the Leeds defence proved impassable and at the other end Danny Ward profited from Matt Diskin’s pass to cross, Kevin Sinfield’s conversions putting them 12-0 up at half-time.

Rhinos’ third try, on 52, was a moment of brilliance from Ali Lauitiiti. The big New Zealand second-rower picked up the ball 15 metres from his own line and showed astonishing pace to cover 80 metres down the left. Later, when captain Sinfield scored a drop-goal to make it 19-0 the game looked over.

However, Aussie Lyon had other ideas, suddenly hitting top form as he helped score three tries in just four crazy minutes.

He got the first himself, then quickly gave Ian Hardman the chance to touch down with a beautifully-timed pass, before capitalising on some poor defensive work from Leeds’s Marcus Bai, to get his second, adding two conversions.

Lyon’s sensational impact had Leeds on their knees but they just managed to hold on.

In the Grand Final, they eventually lost to rivals Bradford, who became the only club so far to win Super League from outside the top two.

That is something Rhinos – written off in eighth in mid-July – will be looking to change starting tonight at the Galpharm.