Twelve games into the 2005 Superleague competition and it seems that there are three different types of Rhinos performance. We have the sensational Rhinos who tear apart the opposition, play scintilating football and look unbeatable. There is the dour, lacklustre, 'rabbit in the headlights' Rhinos that lost to Wakefield, and there is the 'in-between' Rhinos who do just enough to win games without breaking into a sweat.

It appears that the opposition on the day is irrelevant, and that they can do little to influence the game, it all depends on how our lads feel on the day. The other team are along for the ride.

With a wounded Giants side in town, it would be interesting to see which Rhinos side would decide to turn up tonight.

Smith gave Bailey a rest, a bit of a shock to most supporters, selecting Ward and JJB as his starting props. McKenna and McDermott returned after missing last weeks visit to Widnes and Botham and Scruton both got places on the bench, establishing themselves as first teamers on a regular basis. Sharp named a side including Thorman and De Vere, as had been tipped by ourselves in this mornings preview, but it was still a young and inexperienced side around a nucleus of seasoned professionals.

The Rhinos started the game attacking the scorboard end, but it was the Giants who would have the early pressure, going close to opening the scoring after just two minutes. Five minutes of good Giants pressure set out their stall, and must have shocked the Rhinos players, out for an easy game. But after being startled early on, the Rhinos took the lead on eight minutes when Burrow threw a dummy on the Giants twenty and went over on the arc. Sinfield failed to convert.

With the quarter-hour up, the Rhinos extended the lead. The ball was passed from Leeds left to right and Calderwood made a thirty metre break before passing inside to the supporting Burrow. Rob pinned back his ears and went thirty metres on the diagonal to score under the posts. This time Sinfield added the two to open up a 10-0 lead. Four minutes later and indiscipline cost Leeds.

Great in Support

Retreating to support Mathers as he collected a kick-through, Senior obstructed an on-rushing Giants player and was rightly penalised by Ganson. Huddersfield took the tap and after three plays, Fagbourn went over in the corner, much to the disgust of the South Stand. Thorman converted brilliantly from the touchline and the Giants were right back in it at 10-6.

The visitors edged even closer with a twenty-eighth minute penalty after Walker had stolen the ball on the Rhinos twenty-metre line. At 10-8 the Giants and their supporters must have believed that they had weathered the Rhinos onslaught and were in with a real chance.

But the last ten minutes of the half would be devastating for the away side. On thirty-two Leeds benefitted from a half-way penalty after interference at the play-the-ball and from the resulting kick and play, Sinfield put Ellis through a gap to score next to the post, making his conversion simple.

As the Rhinos have done so often this season, we added another try with just seconds to go until the interval. A Senior offload on half way into the hands of Liam Botham who went fifty-metres down the left touchline to score ten metres from the left post. Sinfields conversion gave the Rhinos a 22-8 lead over a shattered Giants.

Game of the Year?

The first ten minutes of the second half saw the Rhinos spurn four chances inside the Giants twenty. Senior, McDermott, Bai and Mathers were all culprits as they tried to keep the ball alive in situations where common sense said 'hold on'. And the Giants punished us for it. On fifty minutes Drew went over next to the posts for the Giants second try, and a glimmer of hope for the visitors. He converted his own try for 22-14, but it would be the last Giants score of the match.

It was now time for the Rhinos to put the game to bed!

A fifty-sixth minute penalty was awaded to the Rhinos for holding down and after JJB went close, the ball was moved left for Poching to push over. Sinfield failed with the conversion.

Five minutes later and Poching got his second as the Rhinos went blind side on the last tackle and Senior combined with Bai and back to Senior before Poching was put over unopposed. Sinfield goaled this one, and it was now 32-14 to the Rhinos. Game over!

There were two tries left in the Rhinos, although it could have been a lot more.

On sixty-four minutes a superb break by Senior saw him pass inside to Rob Burrow who crowned a great personal performance with a third try. Sinfield converted, as he did on seventy-four when Mathers had gone close before Ali Lauiti'iti went over from acting half back. The final score being a comprehensive 44-14 to the Rhinos.

This was the 'in-between' Rhinos tonight, who never got out of second gear, and who never needed to. You felt that there was the potential to score many more tries than we actually managed tonight and there must have been close to ten 'bombed' tries deep in Giants territory. One worrying factor was the number of times that the Giants broke the Rhinos line, something that we saw more tonight than in the rest of the seasons matches put together.

All credit to the Giants, they came with a weakened side and gave the game everything, but in the end the Rhinos class showed.

It looks like this might be a week of defensive work for the boys before the visit of SM Pia next week.