Valuable win for Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos have scored a 28-18 Super League victory against Bradford Bulls at Headingley Carnegie.
Last Updated: 09/08/08 12:27am
Leeds have earned a valuable Super League victory against Bradford, the Rhinos edging a 28-18 win against the Bulls at Headingley Carnegie.
Brian McClennan's side have lost five of their last eight in both league and cup and twice had to come from behind against a side whose performance belied their poor form away from home this season.
Tries from Bradford's Paul Sykes, James Evans and Wayne Godwin were balanced by scores from Jordan Tansey, Luke Burgess and Nick Scruton as the two sides spent three-quarters of the evening engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle.
The Bulls could still have edged a shock win after Carl Ablett's try handed Leeds a four-point lead. However, the home side remained out front, with their fourth victory this season against their rivals sealed thanks to a late score from Danny McGuire.
A full-blooded derby atmosphere ensured a fast and furious start, with tempers boiling over after five minutes when Michael Platt's tackle on Scott Donald forced a Leeds goal-line drop-out.
Fisticuffs between Platt and Rob Burrow - and an apparent head-butt from the Bradford player on Brent Webb - ensued, which resulted in a bloodied face for the Leeds scrum-half and both men being sent to the sin bin.
The Bulls broke through moments later with a well-taken opening try: Ben Jeffries making an angled run before a cheeky inside pass to Sykes allowed the latter to touch down.
Iestyn Harris kicked the extras, with Leeds' problems mounting after Donald was forced off the pitch with a rib injury.
Response
The chance for a response came after Jamie Langley knocked on after 15 minutes. With the set starting deep in Bradford territory, Jamie Peacock and Webb created the overlap for replacement Tansey to cross.
Kevin Sinfield missed the extras and, with Burrow and Platt back on the field, Bradford held a two-point lead.
However, it lasted all of four minutes before Matt Diskin broke forward through the centre before releasing another replacement, Burgess, to score the Rhinos' second.
Sinfield this time found the target and Leeds sought to apply pressure in the hope of opening up a gap.
A couple of false starts came and went before the half hour, with Peacock then picking up Burrow's pass and barging forward before feeding Scruton, who became the third Rhinos replacement to touch down.
Sinfield converted but Bradford then nicked one back against the run of play: Evans the first to react to Harris's chip through, the centre then wriggling past two Rhinos defenders to score.
Harris kicked his second of the evening to place Bradford four points behind. They should really have gone into half time ahead but, spearheading a break, Simon Finnigan knocked on when tackled five metres short.
They did forge back ahead soon after the re-start, however, with Harris's high kick being palmed by McGuire into the path of Godwin - Harris also converting for an 18-16 lead.
Vulnerable
Leeds were looking vulnerable to the boot of their former player at this stage, although further bombs were - more or less - dealt with. In fact, both defences were now on top, as evidenced by the sight of three Bulls shunting Tansey into touch.
The home side's break came on the hour after Andy Lynch conceded a penalty for offside, with Ablett subsequently running on to Diskin's chip through to score his fourth of the season.
With Sinfield off the field, Burrow converted to give the Rhinos a four-point lead. It could have been extended moments later after Sykes knocked on, but Keith Senior's offload to Burrow was adjudged forward.
Another chance came eight minutes from time but, once again, it was not taken - McGuire making a double movement in touching down.
They almost paid the price after Jeffries forced another goal-line drop-out with six minutes left. However, Bradford's set was wasted when, attempting to find an overlap, Chris Nero found only the touchline.
After Bradford conceded a goal-line drop-out, a late try from McGuire - converted by Sinfield - then put the final gloss on the scoreline.