Headingley was the stage for the clash of the weekend as top placed Leeds Rhinos played hosts to the leagues second side, Wigan Warriors. Both sides registered wins last weekend and a highly improbable seventy-four point winning margin would be enough to see the Warriors into top spot.

The Rhinos were without Paul Aiton who broke his arm in last weeks win over the Wolves and Adam Cuthbertson was named as hooker, raising more than a few eyebrows. Taulima Tautai was missing for the Warriors after failing a fitness test and was replaced by Ryan Sutton on the bench.

Just over two minutes were on the clock when Josh Charnley knocked the ball out of Ryan Halls hands a few metres from the Wigan line and into the hands of Danny McGuire, who was loitering on the wing. As the cover tackle came across McGuire dived and scored one-handed while in the process of being taken into touch. The video referee overruled the on-field officials no try decision and gave the 'TRY'. Skipper Kevin Sinfield goaled from the touchline for 6-0.

On six the Warriors opened their account when a George Williams kick through was fumbled under pressure by Tom Briscoe and as the ball bounced into goal, Liam Farrell was the first to get a hand on the loose ball to score. Matty Smith missed with the extras, leaving his side still two adrift.

Despite Wigan dominating the next quarter of an hour, it was the Rhinos who registered the next score when a McGuire grubber from ten metres out was grounded by Joel Moon. Sinfield goaled the extras.

Sinfield added two points when Joel Tomkins went high on Stevie Ward for a ten point margin.

After a lengthy stoppage for an injury to Rhino Mitch Achurch neither side seems to be able to regain their composure or momentum until twenty seconds before the interval, when Leeds moved the ball through several pairs of hands before Sinfield put in a grubber which was grounded by Ryan Hall. Sinfield kicked the conversion to give the home side a 20-4 half time lead.

Just before the hour there was a sustained period of Wigan pressure which resulted in Liam Farrell grounding the ball over the line with a dart from acting half back, and with four defenders on him. Matty Smith again missed the kick and left the Warriors still needing to score three times.

On sixty-eight, Danny McGuire threw the dummy, found Sinfield who switched play to the blind side and Kallum Watkins went through a gap to score Leeds' fourth try of the night. Sinfield hit the upright which thwarted the conversion and spoiled his unblemished record on the night.

As Leeds moved downfield following a penalty from the kick-off, Zak Hardaker kicked a drop goal to rub salt into the Wigan wounds with the Rhinos 25-8 ahead. The game, and a four point lead, was seemingly secured.

On seventy-two a George Williams step and offload found Bateman to step past a tiring Leeds defence to score. Matty Bowen who had taken over the kicking duties kicked the extras.

With two minutes remaining on the clock the Warriors looked to have set up a grandstand finish when a John Bateman grubber was touched down by Dom Manfredi, but when Matty Bowen slid the kick wide, the margin was still seven points with just seconds left on the clock. The Rhinos had a 25-18 win.

Wigan showed a never say die second half attitude, but sensational Leeds defence and a killer instinct in attack during the first half, gave the Rhinos enough of a margin to hang on. Wigan will regret three missed kicks which would have given us a nerve-jangling climax, and with St Helens losing to Hull this evening it means that the Rhinos are now clear favourites to clinch top spot and become 2015 minor premiers.

Rhinos: Hardaker (DG), Briscoe, Watkins (T), Moon (T), Hall (T), Sinfield (4G), McGuire (T), Garbutt, Cuthbertson, Peacock, Ward, Ablett, Singleton. Subs: Burrow, Leuluai, Achurch, Keinhorst.

Warriors: Bowen (G), Charnley, Gelling, Bateman( T), Manfredi (T), Williams, Smith, Flower, McIlorum, Clubb, Tomkins, Farrell (2T), O'Loughlin. Subs: Powell, Mossop, Patrick, Sutton.

Referee: Richard Silverwood
Attendance: 15,026