Rhinos halt Wolves charge

Leeds ended Warrington's unbeaten start to the Stobart Super League season with a 26-18 victory at Headingley.

The Wolves twice came from behind in an enthralling contest but the Rhinos were never headed and Liam Hood's late try secured their 11th win in 12 matches.

For table-topping Warrington, the defeat was their first in the regular weekly rounds since June last year.

Leeds, who ended the Wolves' Grand Final hopes in last September's play-offs, started and finished the game in control but in between were forced to withstand a furious Warrington onslaught.

Persistent drizzle created a greasy ball, which clearly contributed to the early handling errors by Garreth Carvell and Stefan Ratchford which put the visitors under enormous early pressure.

Leeds' aggressive defence forced a series of other lapses from the Wolves which gave the champions all the momentum and it produced two tries in seven minutes to put them 12-0 up.

Stand-off Danny McGuire sidestepped past Ben Westwood for the opener while winger Ryan Hall pulled the Warrington defence out of position after collecting Brent Webb's cut-out pass, creating the space for Zac Hardaker to cut past flailing arms for the second.

Kevin Sinfield added both conversions but the scores merely stung the Wolves into action and they drew level with two converted tries in a seven-minute spell before half-time.

Half-backs Lee Briers and Richie Myler combined to get centre Matty Blythe over on the burst before back-to-back penalties set up the position for prop Chris Hill to take Briers' short pass and finish powerfully to claim his first try for the club.

Briers added both goals to tie the scores but the Rhinos were back in front within four minutes of the re-start.

Dangerous

A typical dart from dummy half by the ever-dangerous Rob Burrow established attacking position and Watkins produced a superb finish after taking Webb's long pass and bouncing off the attempted tackle of Ryan Atkins.

Sinfield's touchline goal re-established a six-point advantage but it was level again three minutes later when Warrington took full advantage of a Leeds handling error inside their own 20-metre area, with Westwood forcing his way over for a try goaled by Briers.

When Wolves hooker Micky Higham was pulled up for a high tackle on Burrow, Sinfield edged his side back in front with a 30-metre penalty but the visitors, who lost Ratchford through injury early in the second half, thought they had gone in front for the first time on the hour.

Briers palmed the ball back for Myler to touch down after his own high kick had eluded full-back Brent Webb but video referee Ian Smith ruled the try out for offside.

The television official also disallowed a try for Leeds winger Ben Jones-Bishop. But he ruled in favour of Hood when the substitute pounced on a handling error by Myler, who had fatally fumbled McGuire's kick into his own in-goal area.