The final game of the Good Friday Rivas round of Super League XXX was the one that the bookies were tipping to be the most one-sides, the Rhinos handicapped by twenty-four points on the coupon as they took on bottom side and winless Huddersfield Giants who are in the depths of a chronic injury crisis.

Honours were shared between the two sides in 2024, the Giants winning the round eight encounter a day under a year ago by 30-24, Leeds victorious in the last meeting between the two sides by 34-6 in July.

Leeds had new re-signing Kallum Watkins in their seventeen, the Giants scraping the barrel for a functioning seventeen as their injury list was longer than their fit player roster.

Leeds were pinged for accidental offside on their own line with two minutes on the clock but a lack of ideas saw the Giants run through their sets without causing any issues to the Leeds defence.

Great Giants defence held Matt Frawley up over the line on the last Leeds tackle on eight minutes but Leeds were looking dangerous in attack.

On twelve minutes Morgan Gannon forced his way over the line but the Giants prevented him grounding the ball but on the final play of the six the Rhinos forced a goal line drop out.

On a rare sortie into the Rhinos half it was the Giants who laid claim for the opening points on twenty-two, Sam Halsall knocking on in goal as he chased a kick through.

Leeds were awarded a penalty for a ball reef on twenty-eight but again the Giants defence diffused the situation.

Finally, the Rhinos did take the lead with thirty-one minutes on the clock as Lachlan Miller picked apart the Giants defence after a line break on thirty metres, jinking his way to the line and scoring under the sticks to give himself a simple conversion for a 6-0 lead.

The Rhinos had absolutely dominated the first half but had a measly six-point lead at the interval, a clear indication of the home sides inability to convert position and possession into points as the second leakiest defence in the league managed to maintain their line in the face of the onslaught.

Five minutes after the restart the Leeds advantage was doubled, returning favourite Kallum Watkins taking a short pass from Bentley and going ten metres to score under the sticks. Miller added the conversion for a 12-0 lead.

On fifty-three Ash Handley jumped to take a Jake Connor high kick one-handed, juggled the ball, and walked in for the Rhinos third of the evening. Miller hit the mark for the third time for 18-0, the game was beyond the visitors.

A great team try for Leeds on the hour. A ‘no look’ pass from James McDonnell releasing Connor to score under the uprights after the involvement of Watkins and Bentley. Miller kicked the extras to bring up 24-0.

With the result in the bag, the Rhinos were turning on the style and playing with abandon.

On sixty-five fast hands from the centre of the field to the right-hand side enabled Bentley to pass to Ryan Hall, the veteran Rhinos man scoring on the corner. Miller made his first error of the game, curling his kick wide of the uprights.

Small consolation for the Giants on seventy-four, Tom Burgess taking the pass on the Leeds ten metre line and fending off Morgan Gannon to score. George Flanagan added the conversion for 6-28 as the last points of the game went Huddersfield’s way.

It was a game of two halves, both of which belonged to the Rhinos, but the first was one where they couldn’t get over the whitewash and the second was one where they cut free and made their dominance count with abandon. It was an eighth consecutive loss for the Giants at the start of the 2025 season, a nightmare for Luke Robinsons side who wouldn’t have any luck at all if it wasn’t for bad luck. The Rhinos move level with St Helens on league points but trail them in fifth spot on points difference.

Leeds Rhinos: Miller (T, G 4/5), Hall (T), Newman, Handley (T), Lumb, Connor (T), Frawley, Jenkins, O’Connor, Holroyd, McDonnell, Gannon, Palasia. Subs: Sinfield, Lisone, Bentley, Watkins (T). 18^th Man: Edgell.

Huddersfield Giants: McGowan, Carr, Sutcliffe, Bibby Jake, Halsall, Gagai, Flanagan (G 1/1), Wilson, Golding, Burgess (T), Hewitt, Greenwood, Milne. Subs: Algar, Sykes, Bibby Jack, Billington. 18^th Man: Cudjoe.

Half-Time: 6-0.

Full-Time: 28-6.  

Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0 :  HT: 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 22-0, 24-0, 28-0, 28-4, 28-6 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Leeds.

Referee: Jack Smith.