Second bottom welcomed third placed Hull FC as Headingley Carnegie played host to the latest chapter in what is turning into a nightmare season for the Rhinos.
FC needed the win to maintain the pressure on the top two, while the Rhinos were desperate for a confidence boost and a third win of the season which would see them go above Hull KR into tenth spot in Super League XXI, but with a chasm to cross to make the all important top eight.
Leeds were without a whole host of stars in a seventeen which contained just eight of the side who won last years Grand Final. The Airlie Birds were looking for their sixth consecutive win in a run which has propelled them into the top three, and signalled them as real contenders for 2016 honours, but they would have to do it without Shaul, Pryce, Ellis, and Minichiello.
After an end-to-end opening fifteen minutes while belied the wet conditions the Rhinos scored the opening try when Jimmy Keinhorst slid over by the left corner flag off a Liam Sutcliffe pass. Jordan Lilley added the extras from the touchline for 6-0.
The half hour mark saw the FC equaliser after the Rhinos had been forced into a goal-line dropout. Chris Green took the pass off Scott Taylor to go through a lacklustre Mitch Achurch tackle and score under the sticks giving Marc Sneyd a simple conversion.
A Rhinos penalty from Jordan Lilley, just three from the interval, gave the Rhinos a narrow two point lead going into the break.
Two minutes from the restart and FC hit the front. A great break from Frank Pritchard got FC to within five metres of the line and a fast play the ball saw Marc Sneyd put in a grubber which was collected by Kirk Yeaman to dive over by the left upright. Sneyd kicked the conversion for 12-8 to the visitors.
On the hour the Rhinos got some of the luck they've been lacking all year when Jordan Lilley put in a grubber which came back off Houghton's feet into the young half-backs hands for him to stretch over and score for his debut Leeds try. He added the extras, despite a bloody nose, to edge his side back into the lead at 14-12.
There were just seven minutes left when Jamie Jones-Buchanan took a short ball from Rob Burrow to crash over by the left upright and finally put some daylight between the two teams. Lilley added the extra two for an eight point lead at 20-12. But Hull weren't finished.
On seventy-five a grubber from Sneyd saw Danny Houghton pick up a low bouncing ball to slide over by the sticks. Sneyd added the goal for 20-18 to set up a nail-biting finish.
With seconds left Jordan Thompson hacked the ball forward and just when it looked like he'd won the race to collect the ball, Ash Handley managed to get a boot to leather to kick it dead and seal the Rhinos third win of the season.
Despite atrocious conditions this was a great game between two sides who gave everything for the win. The Rhinos will be breathing a massive sigh of relief that the Giants win down the road over the league leaders didn't see the them drop to the bottom of the table. Hull put in a massive fight and were in the game until the last second but all credit to the Rhinos for holding on to their slender lead and picking up an important two points.
Rhinos: Hardaker, Golding, Watkins, Keinhorst (T), Handley, Sutcliffe, Lilley (T, 4G), Galloway, Burrow, Garbutt, Ablett, Achurch, Jones-Buchanan (T). Subs: Mullally, Singleton, Falloon, Delaney.
FC: Norton, Michaels, Fonua, Yeaman (T), Talanoa, Washbrook, Sneyd (3G), Taylor, Houghton (T), Watts, Pritchard, Manu, Bowden. Subs: Paleaaesina, Green (T), Thompson, Hadley.
Referee: Joe Cobb.
Attendance: 15,888
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