Rhinos run riot over Bulls

Leeds produced a stunning second-half display to dismantle Bradford 40-26 and move seven points clear at the top of Super League.

The Rhinos ran in four tries in an amazing 14-minute spell after the break that blew open a game that had been a bruising forward battle up to half time.

A trio of Paul Deacon penalties after a Semi Tadulala try helped the Bulls grind their way out to a 10-6 lead and put them on course to exact revenge for their 44-2 humiliation at Headingley Carnegie earlier this season.

However, Frenchman Eric Anselme sparked an amazing period of one-way traffic with a try on his debut as Leeds got the better of their fierce rivals for the second successive time at Millennium Magic in Cardiff.

Stunning contrast

None of the 30,628 crowd would have predicted such a stunning final score after a tight first half that had seen Tadulala break the deadlock with his10th try in just six games.

The Rhinos responded with a score of their own from Kallum Watkins, the 17-year-old marking his Super League debut by diving over on the left in acres of space.

Kevin Sinfield added the conversion and although Leeds pushed hard, at one stage enjoying three successive sets of six, it was the Bulls who added the only other points before the break thanks to Deacon's reliable boot.

All that hard work was undone in the space of 43 seconds, Brent Webb and the impressive Watkins combining down the left to set up Anselme.

Barely a tackle or two later and the Rhinos repeated the trick down the right hand side, this time centre Keith Senior cantering in under the posts.

Wobbling Bulls

Bradford were visibly shaken by the Rhinos' rampaging start, Dave Halley making a mess of a high bomb that led to Scott Donald sliding over on the left flank for his 13th of the campaign.

There was still even more to come from the defending champions when Webb started and finished a move straight from the kick-off that Sinfield converted to make it 28-10.

Eventually the Bulls recovered their composure following the onslaught, Tadulala claiming his second thanks to David Solomona's clever kick to the corner.

Shontayne Hape got the benefit of a dubious double movement call to score a quick-fire second but any dreams of a comeback were quickly ended when Solomona's long pass was picked off by Ryan Hall, who then ran in under the sticks.

Prop Kylie Leuluai barged his way over to crown a marvellous night for the Rhinos, Sinfield's sixth successful conversion taking his team's tally to 40 points.

Bradford did have the final word when Sam Burgess got on the end of a Deacon grubber, though it was scant consolation after a second-half mauling at the hands of their Yorkshire neighbours.