The Rhinos travelled to a much-improved London Broncos in the hope of registering a cricket score to improve their chances of making the play-offs should the final reckoning come down to points difference with a win by twelve enough to take them above the Catalans Dragons and into seventh spot.
But London were likely to prove stern opposition as they came into the game knowing that a win would lift them off the bottom for the first time in 2024 and above Hull FC who lost their round twenty-four game to Castleford yesterday.
London were given a twenty-eight point start on the coupon, the bookies in no doubt that this would be a big win for the visitors as they maintained the feintest of hopes of a play-off place.
Good early pressure from the London Broncos earned them an early try when half back Jack Campagnolo dummied to kick before dropping the shoulder and weaving his way to the line from ten metres out to dive in. Olli Leyland added the conversion for a 6-0 lead, no less than the Broncos deserved on their opening minutes showing.
Leeds rode their luck on ten minutes when a Brodie Croft grubber rebounded off a London defender into the hands of Rhyse Martin who juggled before retaking and scoring under the sticks. The Rhinos kicker added the extras to his own try to level the scores.
Two penalties and a set restart in Leeds favour proved too much for the London defence and Martin kicked a two-point penalty from in front of the sticks on twenty-five to edge Leeds ahead.
In the warm weather the game was descending into a catalogue of errors from both sides, it was starting to resemble a match between two pub teams.
A beautiful chip kick from Matt Frawley on the London thirty was chased, caught, and grounded inside the London try area for the Rhinos second of the afternoon on thirty-three minutes. The Leeds man added the conversion from ten metres from the touchline for 14-6, all the points scored by the Rhinos second rower.
Leeds managed to defend their line from London onslaught on thirty-eight but on carrying the ball out Paul Momirovski dropped the ball ten from his own line. Leyland went over on the third tackle but was held up brilliantly on his back by Jarrod O’Connor. But two plays later Emanuel Waine picked up a beautiful Campagnolo grubber kick to evade the tacklers for London’s second try. Leyland added the conversion and just two points separated the sides at oranges.
Within a minute of the restart, Waine tried to push his way over under the sticks, but he was held short by the Rhinos defenders and two plays later Hakim Miloudi lost the ball in the tackle on the Leeds line with the ball going dead.
James Bentley went close for Leeds on forty-six but was held up over the line and two tackles later Cam Smith also found himself with a chance to score, only to be denied by a last-ditch London defence.
A lightening fast break from the Rhinos on fifty-two ended with Momirovski crashing over the line under a pile of defenders but he lost possession of the ball before he could ground it.
London were seemingly back in front on fifty-three after Josh Rourke jumped to collect a Leyland high kick and go over but the referee judged that Lewis Bienek was offside at the kick of the ball and the try was wiped out.
The first points of the half came on fifty-five with Lee Kershaw crashing over in the right corner as the Rhinos defence was finally broken. Leyland missed the conversion from wide, London two points ahead.
On sixty-two the Rhinos regained the lead with Martin picking up his hat-trick try as he took a Croft try and bust through the London line twenty out to sprint in under the sticks for the four-pointer. Martin added the conversion to his own try for 20-16, the Rhinos kicker having scored all the Rhino’s points.
On seventy-four a brilliant break down the right wing saw the London winger offload inside as he was tackled just short of the line, the loose ball being picked up by Ethan Natoli who dived over the line to draw the two sides level. Leyland hit the near post with his conversion attempt, the sides all square with four minutes remaining.
Campagnolo tried a drop goal with two minutes remaining, but the ball sailed wide of the posts, the game was going into golden point, the second time in 2024 that eighty minutes couldn’t separate these two sides.
The first attempted drop goal took four minutes, but Leyland was forty-five metres out and his attempt dropped ten metres short of the sticks. Leeds worked the ball into the London half but Brodie Croft’s attempt at a drop goal was woeful.
A minute into the second half of extra time, Capagnolo hit the crossbar with an attempted drop goal, the ball bouncing back into the field of play. Next up was Leyland on three minutes but despite having time he pulled the drop goal attempt wide. Leeds used a seven tackle six to work downfield with Croft kicking the goal from thirty metres out for a 21-20 win.
Two poor teams slogged it out in the countries capital with Leeds having the majority of ball but being unable to break down a robust London defence. There were far too many errors from both sides and a draw would have been a fair result but after riding their luck as London twice hit the woodwork with kicks, a composed Brodie Croft drop goal won the game and kept the Rhinos in with an outside chance of the play-offs.
London Broncos: Rourke, Kershaw (T), Natoli (T), Bassett, Miloudi, Leyland (2/4 G), Campagnolo (T), Butler, Davis, Kennedy, Lovell, Adebiyi, Stock. Subs: Tison, Bienek, Jones, Waine (T). 18th Man: Storey.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Fusitu’a, Momirovski, Newman, Edgell, Croft (DG), Frawley, Lisone, Ackers, Sangare, McDonnell, Martin (3T, 4/4 G), Smith. Subs: Nicholson-Watton, Bentley, O’Connor, Donaldson. 18th Man: Sinfield.
Half-Time: 12-14.
Full-Time: 20-20. Golden Point: 20-21.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-6, 6-8, 6-12, 6-14, 10-14, 12-14 :HT: 16-14, 16-18, 16-20, 20-20 :FT: 20-21:GP.
Lead Exchanges: London – Square – Leeds – London – Leeds – Square - Leeds.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
