Leeds go third after tight win over Wakefield

Betfred Super League

Leeds (22) 22

Tries: Newman, Connor, Lumb Goals: Connor 5

Wakefield (6) 18

Tries: Walmsley, Jowitt 2 Goals: Jowitt 3

Leeds Rhinos resisted a strong Wakefield Trinity fightback in their West Yorkshire derby to go third in the table and chalk up their sixth Super League win in the past seven matches.

Jake Connor chalked up a personal tally of 14 points as two of the competition's form teams went head to head at an emotional Headingley, which marked the approaching first anniversary of the death of Leeds hero Rob Burrow by making this an MND Awareness match.

Both sides went into the game on the back of three straight wins but Connor's kicking, added to his try and further scores from Harry Newman and Riley Lumb had the home side looking comfortable at half time.

Super League's leading points scorer Max Jowitt, however, added two tries to that scored by Lachlan Walmsley in the first half to make it a nervy finish for home supporters.

Leeds overpowered Trinity in the first half, dominating in the forwards and looking the more creative side, and with Connor in clinical mood they built a healthy lead.

Newman got it all started as he did well to collect Connor's kick and spin out of a tackle to score, before the Rhinos half-back then claimed his own four-pointer by throwing a dummy and dodging through a gap to extend the lead.

Walmsley's first Super League try of the season put Trinity back within touching distance but Leeds forged further ahead as Lumb finished a slick passing move and Connor's conversion and two penalties underlined their territorial and tactical dominance.

If the first half belonged to Connor, it was Jowitt - the man who last season set a new British record by topping 500 points in Wakefield's Championship-winning campaign - who took centre stage after the break.

He chased down his own grubber kick to bag a try which he converted himself, and was on hand to finish again after Corey Hall had broken a flagging Leeds defence.

That took him to nine tries for the season and saw him match Connor's haul of 14 points in the match.

With the momentum pushing them on, sixth-placed Trinity went for the win but Leeds held firm, even when James Bentley was sin-binned for late contact in the last couple of minutes.

Leeds: Miller; Hall, Newman, Handley, Lumb; Connor, Croft; Palasia, O'Connor, Oledzki, McDonnell, Bentley, Watkins

Interchanges: Holroyd, Lisone, Jenkins, C. Smith

Wakefield: Rourke; Walmsley, Hall, Pratt, Johnstone; Jowitt, Lino; McMeeken, Hood, Faatili, Nikotemo, Griffin, Pitts.

Interchanges: Scott, Vagana, Cozza, H. Smith

Referee: Chris Kendall.