Leeds Rhinos Dominate York Knights 66-16

Leeds Rhinos surged to the top of the Super League with a 66-16 victory over York Knights at LNER Community Stadium, scoring 12 tries and a hat-trick from Riley Lumb. York managed only three tries before the scoreline was sealed by a series of late goals and tries from the Rhinos' bench. Leeds now sit atop the table ahead of Wigan Warriors on points difference.

Leeds Rhinos’ Scoring Spree

Leeds Rhinos returned to the top of the Super League table after a 66-16 demolition of York Knights at LNER Community Stadium. The Rhinos scored 12 tries, including a hat-trick from Riley Lumb, and added 10 goals from Connor, Hankinson and Miller. Lumb opened the scoring with a quickfire double, then finished his own third try after a pass from Handley. Chris Hankinson added two more, while Kallum Watkins, Mikolaj Oledzki, Lachie Miller, Matthew Lodge, Ryan Hall, Brodie Croft and Ash Handley each contributed a try. The Rhinos’ 66 points were the highest score in the league this season.

York Knights’ Brief Response

York Knights managed only three tries, scored by Sam Wood, Jon Bennison and David Nofoaluma, and missed all four of their goal attempts. The Knights’ first try by Wood was ruled out after a review that found Watkins had been obstructed in the build-up. York’s only points came in the second half, with Bennison and Nofoaluma scoring late consolation tries. The Knights finished the match in 12th place, 12th on the table.

Coaches’ Reactions

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur told BBC Radio Leeds: “We didn’t come here expecting to score 66 points so I’m pretty happy with that. I thought we started with good intent, the mentality was really, really good. We improved on some things we had to get right from last week.” He added that the team had to work harder to stay at the top of the table. York Knights head coach Mark Applegarth said on BBC Radio York: “I’m disappointed, very disappointed. I knew that we had to be on today to get a result and Leeds had to be slightly disjointed, but unfortunately for us the roles were reversed.” He highlighted the need for composure and ruck control against big teams.

Match Highlights

Leeds Rhinos: 12 tries, 10 goals, 66 points. Riley Lumb hat-trick, Chris Hankinson two tries, Kallum Watkins, Mikolaj Oledzki, Lachie Miller, Matthew Lodge, Ryan Hall, Brodie Croft, Ash Handley each scored.
York Knights: 3 tries, 0 goals, 16 points. Sam Wood, Jon Bennison, David Nofoaluma.
Referee: Liam Moore.

The result leaves Leeds in first place, ahead of Wigan Warriors on points difference, while York remains in 12th. The Rhinos’ performance demonstrates a dominant attacking style that will be a benchmark for the rest of the season.