Leeds Rhinos picked up their second win of the season with a huge defensive display against the Catalan Dragons, finishing 18-10 with signs that there is plenty more to come from Rohan Smith’s side.
After returning to Headingley off the back of a defeat inflicted by Hull KR, the Rhinos had to do better and they certainly did. Leeds had to work very hard for this victory against a Catalan side who were very strong within their forwards for the whole game.
With a little more leniency on the new rules, the game flowed a lot better than the one two weeks ago against Salford and I felt like Chris Kendall dealt with the vast majority of decisions correctly. In an incident surrounding James Bentley and Tariq Sims early on, Bentley was very lucky to stay on the field for striking Sims with an elbow, however, it was dealt with without the use of cards, leaving no team at a disadvantage early on.
Subsequently, Bentley has been given a one match ban for striking.
Impressive defence
Rohan Smith in his post-match press conference said:
“There was a lot of grit, teamwork, resilience that went into that.”
“I loved the bravery of our players today, to play a bit of footy against a team that is rugged and defensively very good around the field.”
It was clear to see from watching the game at the ground that Leeds looked very good defending and were showing signs of how dangerous their attacking plays are going to be as the season goes on.
Leeds Rhinos vs Catalan Dragons: the action
Right from the kick-off, Catalan were firing at the Rhinos with everything they had. A dropped ball by Lachlan Miller in the first couple of seconds piled pressure on Leeds’ defensive line, who for the whole first half kept Catalan scoreless except for a late penalty goal. The two first half tries by Leeds coming from Ash Handley and Harry Newman came within minutes from each other after one very key moment that changed the momentum, caused by man of the match, Brodie Croft.
Croft shot out of the line to put a huge shot on Theo Fages, who dropped the ball; the pass to him left the ball up near his head, prompting Leeds to gain possession. Here is the tackle. Croft was outstanding with his tackling and his attacking plays. A perfectly timed grubber kick for the first of two tries for Handley and great organisation for the whole team. He thoroughly deserved the man of the match.
The second half was a nervy one with the Dragons coming back into the game with a try and a penalty goal. A huge gap opened up for forward Chris Satae, who marched over to the posts to put down for the Dragons, leaving it 10-10 until Handley’s second try of the game broke the deadlock once again. A late penalty goal by Rhyse Martin secured the victory for the Rhinos and allowed everyone in the ground to enjoy the remaining couple of minutes that little bit more.
Standout players
Croft was instrumental in the victory for Leeds but I want to shed some light on some other players who impressed.
Handley with two tries this week, marking his tally for the season already at 5, is so consistent in his carries and catching, and his pace is simply breathtaking. After scoring a try in last week’s defeat to Hull KR, which is another try of the season contender, his scores this week were walk-ins compared to some of his other tries this year. The second try for Handley was a superb team effort, capitalised on by quick plays of the ball and the broken field, giving Cameron Smith enough time and space to throw a monster pass to Handley who strolled to the try line with ease.
Leon Ruan came off the bench and made a great impact. 2024 could be a breakout season for the youngster who carried the ball hard and was instrumental in the build up to Handley’s second try. His work rate was brilliant and within the south stand a large number of spectators were quick to praise Ruan after he came on and helped push Leeds at the end.
On his 150th career appearance, Bentleymade sure it was one to remember. I know people are divided on Bentley and make fair criticisms of him, but the local boy is a player Leeds need. He torments the opposition in any way he can. He can be grubby and take it a step too far but Leeds have not had a player like Bentley for years. He got into Jordan Abdull’s face the whole game, tackled hard, carried hard. It was a big effort from him. A ban due to his striking was expected and I am surprised it isn’t longer.
Leeds Rhinos: the next match
The Rhinos play Leigh Leopards this friday night, away. Leigh are without a win this season but they are still a strong team and I expect a close encounter between the two sides. Former Rhino, Brad Dwyer who has joined Leigh on a two-week loan from Warrington is a player Leeds should look out for. He is elusive in his play and I believe he could cause some problems for Leeds.
The Rhinos must back up the huge win against the Dragons with a good performance this week.
Highlights and press conference:
Leeds Rhinos VS Catalan Dragons highlights /// Rohan Smith post-match press conference
