Wakefield Trinity 22-24 Leeds Rhinos: Leaders secure late win in Super League clash

By Charlie Bradshaw — 8 August 2026 — 3 min read

Leeds Rhinos secured a 24-22 victory over Wakefield Trinity in a Super League match at DIY Kitchens Stadium, moving four points clear at the top of the table. The game, described as a top-of-the-table clash, saw Leeds come from behind to win in the final minutes.

Wakefield initially established a significant lead, with Isaiah Vagana opening the scoring following a kick. Caleb Hamlin-Uele also scored after a run from Caius Faatili, and Jayden Myers added another try, contributing to a 16-0 advantage. Jack Sinfield converted three of these early tries.

Leeds began their comeback with a try from Brodie Croft. In the second half, Wakefield extended their lead when Sinfield scored, making it 22-6. However, Leeds intensified their efforts in the final half-hour.

Rhinos’ Second-Half Resurgence

James McDonnell scored for Leeds, reducing the deficit to 22-10 after a conversion from Jake Connor. Cam Smith then added another try for Leeds, bringing the score to within four points.

The momentum shifted decisively in the closing stages. With approximately three minutes remaining, Chris Hankinson scored a try for Leeds following a grubber-kick from Jake Connor, levelling the scores at 22-22. Connor then successfully converted the try, securing the 24-22 victory for Leeds.

This win marks a significant step for Leeds towards a top-two finish in the league. They now hold a four-point lead with five regular season games remaining, and maintain a points difference of over 200 against Wakefield and Wigan Warriors, who are currently in second and third place respectively.

Coaches Reflect on the Match

Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell expressed disappointment, noting that his team made too many errors in the second half after scoring their post-break try. He acknowledged that Leeds deserved the win despite his team’s strong first half performance, stating that there are key lessons to be learned from such big games.

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur praised his team’s grit, discipline, and character in the second half. He described the match as the kind of 80-minute game his team needed, highlighting that it was a significant test after a period of relative ease. Arthur noted that his young players performed well under pressure.

The match was a sell-out at DIY Kitchens Stadium, with both teams featuring notable players. For Wakefield, the squad included Rourke, Myers, Scott, Hall, Johnstone, Trueman, Sinfield, Lolesio, Smoothy, Rodwell, McMeeken, Vagana, and Tevaga, with interchanges including Pitts, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, and Smith.

Leeds’ line-up featured Miller, Edgell, Handley, Bird, Newman, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Jenkins, Hankinson, McDonnell, and Watkins, with interchanges including Smith, Lloyd, Cassell, and Holroyd. The referee for the match was Liam Moore.

The game was part of Round 22 of the Betfred Super League, which also saw other fixtures including St Helens vs Hull FC, Castleford Tigers vs Hull KR, Leigh Leopards vs York Knights, Huddersfield Giants vs Catalans Dragons, Wigan Warriors vs Toulouse Olympique, and Bradford Bulls vs Warrington Wolves.

Leeds’ Ryan Hall needs one appearance to move into stand-alone tenth place in the list of Super League’s all-time leaders.

Source: bbc.com