Rhinos up and running

Leeds forward Jamie Peacock runs into traffic

A second-half hat-trick of tries from Kallum Watkins helped Leeds begin the defence of their Stobart Super League crown with a 34-16 victory on skipper Kevin Sinfield's 400th appearance.

The champions were heading for only their third opening-day defeat of the Super League era when they trailed 12-10 after 56 minutes, but Watkins struck twice in five minutes to restore their lead and pounced again eight minutes from the end to complete a notable treble.

Danny McGuire added a late try to create a final score that was harsh on Hull KR, who shrugged off the absence of last year's player of the year Blake Green and newly-appointed captain Ben Galea to push the champions all the way in coach Craig Sandercock's first Super League match.

Rovers had six new faces in their line-up and one of them, former Hull and Huddersfield second rower Graeme Horne, took the first-half honours with a brace of tries as the visitors threatened to spring an opening-day shock.

Leeds second rower Brett Delaney had the distinction of scoring the first try of Super League XVII, catching the Rovers defence napping with a quickly-taken tap penalty to stretch out for the line on five minutes.

That followed a knock-on on his own 20-metre line by Craig Hall, who otherwise had an unblemished night, and a handling error by Watkins set up the position for the visitors to equalise three minutes later.

Lethal

Horne proved lethal close to the line to grab his first try and that provided Rovers with the impetus to put the Leeds line under siege.

The champions were forced to defend stoutly to keep their line intact as Michael Dobson and Lincoln Withers orchestrated a fast-paced game and it was against the run of play when they regained the lead on 25 minutes.

Full-back Brent Webb was the first to reach McGuire's grubber kick and Sinfield's first goal of the night made it 10-4.

Horne cut the gap to just two points with his second well-taken try just before half-time and the Robins went in front for the first time seven minutes into the second half when centre Kris Welham took Shannon McDonnell's pass to cross for his side's third try.

Acting captain Dobson was off target for the third time with the conversion attempt and for a time it looked like being crucial.

Leeds went close through lively left centre Zak Hardaker before Watkins nosed them back in front on 58 minutes after being put in the clear by McGuire's cut-out pass.

Sinfield's second goal gave the Rhinos a four-point lead and they moved two scores ahead for the first time when Watkins took Carl Ablett's pass to race away for his second try.

Leeds lost England second rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan with an ankle injury but the momentum was firmly with them in the final quarter.

Welham sent Rovers winger David Hodgson over for a try on his debut but Watkins forced his way over from close range to complete his hat-trick and McGuire jinked through a tiring defence for the champions' sixth try, with Sinfield kicking his fifth goal.