SLIDESHOW - Leeds Rhinos 10 Warrington Wolves 12 - Danny McGuire suffers injury scare as champions are hunted down

BRIAN McDERMOTT had quite presciently stated this week that he would, at some point this season, be talking about his Leeds Rhinos side losing a game following a missed kick that Kevin Sinfield would, undoubtedly, have slotted.
BAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits.  Picture: Tony JohnsonBAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits.  Picture: Tony Johnson
BAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits. Picture: Tony Johnson

The head coach, though, could never have imagined it would have been after the first game of the new Super League campaign.

Treble-winners Leeds lost out to gutsy Warrington Wolves on Thursday night after Man of Steel Zak Hardaker, the England full-back entrusted with the job of taking on Sinfield’s goal-kicking duties after the prolific marksman’s switch to Yorkshire Carnegie, skewed a 76th-minute penalty horribly wide.

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It was one of those ugly efforts that did not even get close and you could sense Hardaker, Super League’s top player last season, wanted the Headingley pitch to swallow him up whole.

BAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits.  Picture: Tony JohnsonBAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits.  Picture: Tony Johnson
BAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits. Picture: Tony Johnson

That said, he cannot be blamed for the lack of a point in an eventful first evening of the Super League season.

Click on the above window to see our slideshow of images from Thursday night’s encounter between Leeds and Warrington

Warrington, though having little of the play, defended heroically at times, none more so than Ben Currie, the second-row tipped for England honours, who somehow chased down Rob Burrow late on when the Leeds hooker escaped into space as he has done so many times before.

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The West Yorkshire club always knew the 2016 campaign would see life without three of their all-time legends – Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai all having moved on after helping them to that glorious treble last term.

Leeds Rhinos Brett Delaney shows his disappointment at losing the opening game of the season.  Picture: Tony Johnson.Leeds Rhinos Brett Delaney shows his disappointment at losing the opening game of the season.  Picture: Tony Johnson.
Leeds Rhinos Brett Delaney shows his disappointment at losing the opening game of the season. Picture: Tony Johnson.

However, they could not have expected to be without another so soon.

Danny McGuire – the veteran half-back taking charge following Sinfield’s 12-year reign as captain – hobbled off with a knee injury after just 31 minutes.

As much as they learned how much they would miss Sinfield for his kicking – the former England captain made a career booting such pressure kicks – they also missed his leadership too due to those unforeseen circumstances.

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Leeds were already without a key playmaker after Australian hooker Beau Fallon was denied his debut after breaking a toe in training last week.

BAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits.  Picture: Tony JohnsonBAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits.  Picture: Tony Johnson
BAD START: Danny McGuire offloads as Wolves Daryl Clark hits. Picture: Tony Johnson

It meant teenager Jordan Lilley came off the bench at dummy-half with Burrow switching to scrum-half alongside Liam Sutcliffe, the 21-year-old handed the job of filling Sinfield’s stand-off jersey.

But they had no answer to Warrington’s defensive steel as the visitors stayed in the contest and thoroughly earned their victory.

Currie was outstanding coming up with a vital tackle on Burrow just before Hardaker’s shocking miss. Australian star Kurt Gidley, Wolves’ big 2016 recruit, nailed a difficult conversion attempt of Kevin Penny’s 67th-minute try to put them ahead and they held on.

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Leeds dominated the first half in all aspects apart from scoring actual points.

Leeds Rhinos Brett Delaney shows his disappointment at losing the opening game of the season.  Picture: Tony Johnson.Leeds Rhinos Brett Delaney shows his disappointment at losing the opening game of the season.  Picture: Tony Johnson.
Leeds Rhinos Brett Delaney shows his disappointment at losing the opening game of the season. Picture: Tony Johnson.

They threw all sorts at Wolves but a combination of early-season sloppiness and real resilience from the visitors meant they saw no reward.

Sutcliffe was held up over the line and then spilled an Adam Cuthbertson offload with a try begging.

When McGuire finally hobbled off, Warrington made the breakthrough on 35 minutes.

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Brad Dwyer dropped the ball but was awarded a penalty by referee James Child to gift Wolves a rare attacking chance.

Soon after, Chris Sandow dummied and sliced through from close range to leave Leeds clutching at thin air.

Gidley converted for a 6-0 interval lead but Leeds started brightly in the second period.

They were rewarded with a 47th-minute try for Brad Singleton, the powerful Cumbrian prop who bulldozed over from close range.

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Hardaker improved but did not after Joel Moon had done brilliantly to escape down the left, find Lilley and see Ryan Hall score in the 55th minute.

Warrington responded with a rare chance as Sandhow’s crossfield kick was held on to by Currie whose pass put Penny over for Gidley to improve.

Leeds – who gave debuts to Brett Ferres and Keith Galloway – still had chances, not least when Burrow surged into space, but he was closed down.

Burrow then signalled to go for two points with four minutes to go but Hardaker, from 30m out and just to the right of the posts, slipped up.

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The game was a fine contest for the opening battle, but Leeds are left counting the cost with uncertainty remaining about how serious is McGuire’s injury.

Falloon, however, could be fit for their next game at Widnes.

Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker, Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall, Sutcliffe, McGuire, Galloway, Burrow, Cuthbertson, Ferres, Ablett, Delaney. Substitutes: Singleton, Garbutt, Keinhorst, Lilley.

Warrington Wolves: Russell, Lineham, R. Evans, Currie, Penny, Gidley, Sandow, Hill, Clark, Sims, Hughes, Westwood, Westerman. Substitutes: Dwyer, G. King, Jullien, Cox.

Referee: James Child (RFL).