 Games don't get much more important than this outside the centre stage of Old Trafford and Wembley. The maths were simple, a win for the Rhinos would see them as Minor Premiers, but victory for the Huddersfield Giants could see them crowned as league leaders, depending on the result at the DW, where the Warriors faced the Tigers.
The Rhinos have looked favourites all season, but came into tonight's crucial fixture on the back of three consecutive post-Wembley losses against a Giants side who like nothing better than to cause their big city neighbours some pain.
This had all the makings of a belter.
It had been a nervous opening for both sides before the Rhinos opened the scoring when Kevin Sinfield found Stevie Ward to step past the last line of defence and ground by the right upright. Sinfield kicked a simple goal for a 6-0 lead.
Within two minutes the Giants had responded thanks to a mistake from the kick-off by Ryan Hall. The Giants moved the ball left and despite a clumsy bounce pass, Jermaine McGillvary slid over in the corner. Danny Brough kicked the goal from wide to level the scores.
Three minutes from the interval and Kevin Sinfield re-established the Rhinos lead after the Giants were penalised on their own forty for an obstruction. The Leeds skipper had given his side the narrowest of half-time leads and the Rhinos quest for the hub-cap was still alive, but they were far from home and dry.
On forty-four there was a near disaster in defence from Ryan Hall as he put in a shocking pass to Zak Hardaker which the Rhinos full back knocked on into the hands of Luke Robinson. With the line begging Robinson knocked-on and Hall breathed a massive sigh of relief.
On forty-nine when Carl Ablett interfered at the play-the-ball on the Rhinos forty, Danny Brough slotted the ball between the uprights to level the scores at 8-8.
On sixty-four Ryan Hall failed to collect a kick to the wing allowing the Giants to collect the Brough kick and two inside passes later Jamie Ellis scored under the posts giving Danny Brough a simple kick for a 14-8 lead.
Three minutes later and Peacock interfered with Johnson at the play the ball and Brough kicked the penalty to extend the lead to eight, and give the Rhinos eleven minutes to score two tries and save their season.
On seventy-three there was a Rhinos lifeline when Cruise Leeming conceded a penalty on half way and from the kick the Rhinos passed the ball with Kallum Watkins putting Tom Briscoe over in the corner. Sinfield added the extras from touchline for 16-14.
When Craig Kopczak shoulder charged Zak Hardaker twenty five from the Giants line, Sinfield kicked the penalty to level the scores at 16-16.
As the final hooter sounded, Danny McGuire kicked to the wing and the ball was picked up by Ryan Hall who flew down the touchline to score a fifty metre try in the corner to win the game and the League Leaders Trophy for the Rhinos. Sinfield missed the conversion but he was past caring, the game was won.
This was a superb match which either side could have won, but which would have been fair as a draw. The Rhinos sneaked the win on the last play of the game, and after having a nightmare for eighty minutes Ryan Hall turned himself from zero to hero and break Warriors and Giants hearts, setting up a Rhinos semi-final against Saints on Friday, while the Giants travel to the DW to take on the Warriors on Thursday night.
Giants: Grix, McGillvary (T), Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy, Brough (4G), Ellis (T), Kopczak, Robinson, Huby, Ferres, Hughes, Ta'ai. Subs: Lawrence, Johnson, Leeming, Smith.
Rhinos: Hardaker, Briscoe (T), Watkins, Moon, Hall (T), Sinfield (4G), McGuire, Garbutt, Burrow, Singleton, Ablett, Ward (T), Cuthbertson. Subs: Delaney, Leuluai, Peacock, Lilley.
Referee: Roberts Hicks
Attendance: 9,326
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