Alfie Edgell’s hat-trick helped Leeds Rhinos shrug aside plucky Salford Red Devils and reignite their Betfred Super League play-off push with a 42-6 victory at Headingley.
The Rhinos, frustrated at home by St Helens a week ago, had again looked far from convincing and reached half-time just four points clear of their crisis-hit opponents, whose players reportedly spent much of this week threatening to go on strike.
Instead Paul Rowley’s men started brimming with confidence after only their second win of the season against Castleford last Sunday, and hardly deserved to be on the end of such a one-sided final scoreline as their resistance fell away and Leeds ran in five tries after the interval.
Brad Arthur’s side had been simply abject in the first period, and reached the hooter highly fortunate to have a lead through two early tries from Edgell and the first two of 14 points which would ultimately be added by the boot of Jake Connor.
The visitors, whose players had attended a crisis meeting with RFL officials on Wednesday amid ongoing concern over the non-arrival of a bridging loan intended to secure their future until at least the end of the season, had come close to breaking the deadlock through both Chris Hankinson and Joe Mellor.
It took 19 minutes for Leeds to go in front through Edgell, and when the 20-year-old repeated the feat three minutes later on the end of a sweeping move which was began by Ryan Hall on the opposite flank, it looked like being business as usual.
But Leeds were sloppy and ill-disciplined, and Salford ought to have punished them more than merely Ryan Brierley’s effort when he was allowed to flop on to the end of his own grubber.
Leeds Rhinos’ Lachie Miller scored again as his side beat Salford Red Devils
Salford made all the running in the final 15 minutes of the first period, Harvey Wilson coming close, Ethan Ryan shoved into touched by a try-saving Connor, and the superb Declan Murphy who surged half the length of the field to score only to be denied for an earlier obstruction.
Leeds finally got some sort of grip on the proceedings five minutes into the second half when Connor sent Lachlan Miller weaving through the Salford defence to score his side’s third try.
It inevitably opened the floodgates. Connor added a penalty and Edgell completed his hat-trick moments after Matthew Foster had been sent to the sin-bin to make the game safe.
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Highlights of the Super League clash between Huddersfield Giants and Wakefield Trinity
Harry Newman started and finished the move which served up the Rhinos’ fifth try just before the hour mark, James McDonnell swiftly added a sixth and Cooper Jenkins made it seven to paper over those first-half cracks.
The other Super League game on Friday saw Wakefield Trinity climb into the top six after they thumped Huddersfield Giants 46-10.
Super League Round 19 Results and Fixtures (all live on Sky Sports)
Thursday July 17
- St Helens 4-16 Leigh Leopards
Friday July 18
- Huddersfield Giants 10-46 Wakefield Trinity
- Leeds Rhinos 42-6 Salford Red Devils
Saturday July 19
- 3pm: Wigan Warriors vs Hull FC
- 6pm: Catalans Dragons vs Hull KR
Sunday July 20
- 3pm: Castleford Tigers vs Warrington Wolves
Watch every Super League game this season live on Sky Sports – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.
