Leeds Rhinos 16-32 Hull KR: Danny McGuire shines as Robins reignite survival hopes
Last Updated: 12/07/19 11:23pm
Danny McGuire inspired Hull KR to a fine 32-16 win over Betfred Super League relegation rivals Leeds Rhinos on his farewell appearance at Emerald Headingley.
The 36-year-old stand-off is retiring at the end of the season but showed he still has much to offer as he tormented his old team-mates with a dazzling array of attacking skills that created three of Rovers' six tries.
Two of them went to Australian centre Kane Linnett while Papua New Guinea international second rower Rhyse Martin scored on his full debut for Leeds but he and Liam Sutcliffe missed all four conversion attempts between them.
Another former Leeds player, hooker Matt Parcell, who was in their Grand Final-winning team of 2017, scored the opening try and the victory was also sweet former Rhinos coach Tony Smith, who has now guided his latest club to three wins from his six matches in their bid to avoid the drop.
This victory enabled Hull KR to draw level with their hosts and crucially put them two points clear of bottom club London Broncos in a still tense relegation battle.
McGuire was at the heart of his side's enterprising start which saw them open up a 14-0 lead.
The warning lights came on for the Rhinos after only four minutes when full-back Adam Quinlan got winger Ben Crooks racing away to the corner.
Leeds winger Ash Handley came to the rescue with a last-ditch tackle but there was no stopping Parcell three minutes later when he went over from dummy half.
Craig Hall was unable to convert and also hit an upright with a penalty but the visitors extended their lead with two further quickfire tries.
Linnett proved unstoppable from 10 metres out after taking a pass from Quinlan, who scored the next try after McGuire and another Leeds old boy Jimmy Keinhorst kept the ball alive in breathtaking fashion.
Josh Drinkwater took on the goalkicking duties after Hall's three misses and made it 14-0 before Leeds began their fightback.
Hooker Brad Dwyer took a return pass from Brett Ferres to go over on 24 minutes and second rower Sutcliffe forced his way over after taking Richie Myler's pass close to the line.
Sutcliffe was wide with both conversion attempts, as Leeds trailed 14-8 at the break and the game quickly drifted further away from them after they made an awful start to the second half.
Hall nudged them into a two-score lead with a penalty before McGuire put his old club to the sword.
He created another attacking platform with a pinpoint kick that forced a goal-line drop-out and in the next set got substitute Harvey Livett over for his first try for the club.
McGuire then came up with another accurate grubber kick that presented Linnett with his second try to make it 26-8.
Leeds rallied in the final quarter, with stand-off Robert Lui creating tries for Konrad Hurrell and Martin, but never looked capable of forcing victory and Hull KR finished in total control, with Hall scoring a penalty and a long-range try to wrap up the scoring.
