When ‘doing the right thing’ helped Pratt escape to grab victory

Luckless Trinity, bidding to avoid a fourth successive loss, had led for most of the contest at Belle Vue only to see a young Rob Burrow scamper 50m from Matt Adamson’s off-load to equalise for Leeds in the 69th minute.

However, they still fancied their chances and were pressing for victory when the elusive Great Britain star Pratt (pictured scoring) escaped from deep.

“I’d just gone down from my normal place in the stand to the touchline to sort things out in the dugout and Karl raced right in front of me,” Roe later recalled.

“It was a tricky moral dilemma: do I tackle him and make sure we win the game? But I did the right thing and let him by although, as one bloke behind me on the terrace shouted, I would probably have missed him anyway.”

It was a quality finish from the versatile Pratt – he started this match at hooker but finished on the wing – whose mercurial career would prematurely end aged just 25.

Persistent shoulder problems proved his undoing while with Bradford only three years later.

However, one of his team-mates on this night was someone who has managed to stand the test of time – Ryan Bailey.

The 18-year-old prop made his Leeds debut off the bench after Wayne McDonald failed a fitness test and has since gone on to make more than 200 appearances for his home-town club.

It was another of the Rhinos’ talented Academy products who helped them to record this victory in June, 2002, Chev Walker’s second try putting them ahead for the first time midway through the second period.

But gutsy Wakefield swiftly responded when Martin Moana scored and Brad Davis converted to set up a thrilling denouement.

Daryl Powell’s Leeds recovered to steal it and rise to third but this epic encounter proved one of their most difficult triumphs.

Trinity’s quality young centre Gareth Ellis scored twice inside the opening 10 minutes to show the potential which would see Leeds pay a substantial fee for his services in 2005.

Tries from Walker and Pratt helped steady Rhinos but Ian Knott’s effort saw Wakefield lead 16-10 at the break.

Kris Tassell and Neil Law stretched that advantage further after Ryan Sheridan had touched down for Leeds before Willie Poching – the former Trinity hero – and Walker struck.

With the scores level, Wakefield blew their chance to slot a drop goal. Instead of setting for a one-pointer, they looked to secure a try and fumbled, gifting Pratt his chance from the scrum.