Leeds Rhinos solidified their place at the top of the Betfred Super League standings on Friday night, delivering a 34-8 win over Hull Kingston Rovers at AMT Headingley Stadium. The victory marked the club’s fifth consecutive win, continuing a strong mid-season surge under head coach Brad Arthur.
Reigning Man of Steel Jake Connor spearheaded the Rhinos’ attack, recording 18 individual points. Connor finished the evening with one try, seven successful conversions from seven attempts, and four assists. He left the field in the final stages of the match with what he described post-match as precautionary tightness.
Winger Maika Sivo provided a significant offensive contribution, crossing for two tries during the match. With these scores, Sivo reached 27 tries for the season and matched a club record by scoring in nine straight matches. Captain Ash Handley and Chris Hankinson also contributed tries to the final score.
Hull Kingston Rovers faced early personnel challenges after front-row pair Tom Amone and Dean Hadley were removed within the first six minutes for mandatory head injury assessments. Noah Booth scored the visitors’ only try of the night. Former Rhino Rhyse Martin added a penalty for Hull KR, though he was later sin-binned for holding down in the ruck before the halftime whistle.
The fixture drew an attendance of 18,456 spectators, serving as the club’s annual MND Awareness night. Players and fans participated in pre-match tributes honoring the late club legend Rob Burrow. Following the match, Jake Connor confirmed that his late withdrawal from the pitch was a precautionary measure rather than a serious injury concern.