THIRTY years on, Leeds Rhinos avenged their defeat to Warrington Wolves as they marked Super League’s milestone birthday with a 26-22 win.
In 1996, it was Warrington that came away victors by four points, but this time Leeds came out winners to deny Warrington the chance to go top of the table.
The windy conditions had an impact throughout, though Warrington enjoyed the better of the opening quarter, edging in front through Ewan Irwin’s penalty.
It took 21 minutes for the first try, Josh Thewlis piercing through off a George Williams inside pass to go 50 metres to the left corner.
Irwin, preferred to Marc Sneyd and playing consecutive Super League games for the first time, then kicked a superb 40/20 that led to a walk in for Josh Smith on the right wing for 12-0.
But Leeds gave themselves a foothold in the game on 31 minutes when Maika Sivo scored on the left and he had earlier earned a penalty to give them field position.
Warrington thought they had restored their lead when James Harrison touched down via the post, only for the video referee to rule he had knocked on against the post pad.
On the stroke of half time, Sivo crossed for his second try off a nice Ash Handley offload for 12-8.
And within six minutes of the restart, Leeds had completed the turnaround. Warrington bombed a chance at one end, intercepted by Ryan Hall, and then conceded a six again and a penalty, before Sivo walked in for his hat-trick on the left.
It turned in to a see-saw battle briefly, Warrington retaking the lead through Toby King off a Thewlis pass, before momentum took Jack Bird over for his first Leeds try to level the scores at 18-all.
The game was won in four minutes either side of the 70 minute mark. First Handley’s searing break on the left ended in Brodie Croft dancing under the posts as Warrington scrambled to reset the defence for the next tackle, and then crucially a penalty by Connor put Leeds eight points to the good at 26-18.
Despite Smith’s tidy finish in the right corner, that proved too much for Warrington to claw back, and they fell to their first defeat of the season.
Leeds: Miller, Hall, Bird (t), Handley, Sivo (3t), Croft (t), Connor (3g), Holroyd, Levi, Palasia, Watkins, McDonnell, Smith. Subs: Oledzki, O’Connor, Hankinson, Jenkins.
Warrington: Thewlis (t), Ashton, King (t), Hopoate, Smith (2t), Williams, Irwin (3g), Yates, Walker, Byrne, Tanginoa, Stone, Currie. Subs: Harrison, Crowther, Philbin, Webster.
