Leeds Beckett University, on behalf of the RFL, will host an ‘open discussion’ of concussion in Rugby League next Wednesday (2 August, 6:30pm-8pm) at the Carnegie School of Sport Building in Headingley.

Chaired by broadcaster Tanya Arnold and involving players, coaches and researchers, the event will explore preliminary data gathered from the recent Academy-level law trials, which seeks to quantify head impact and acceleration exposures in the sport with the aim of increasing understanding and reducing future risk.

The event will involve open discussion among interest parties from across Rugby League and is open to members of the public and media, who can register online to attend either in-person or virtually.

   

Few gave Wigan Warriors Women any hope of making cup progress to face St Helens women at Wembley as they came up against their nemesis, Leeds Rhinos, in the second Challenge Cup semi-final.

The Rhinos were massive favourites with the bookies, pundits, and most of the Warriors supporters after the Rhinos won the league fixture between the two sides by a massive 52-0 just a fortnight ago and because you have to look back five years in the record books for the last times that the Warriors were victorious over today’s opponents.

There was some criticism that the Rhinos were given home advantage for what should be a neutral ground semi-final but with a large contingency expected from Wigan for the later men’s semi-final against Hull KR, there should be plenty of support for the Warriors.

The Salford Red Devils were looking to rejoin the three sides in third place on twenty-two league points but standing in their way was a round eighteen game against Super League’s least predictable team, the Leeds Rhinos who themselves were eyeing up seventh spot.

Salford were the victors by ten points when the sides last met in early May, but it was the visitors who were slight favourites with the bookies this time out, Salford being given a two-point start on the handicap coupon.

This was a crucial game for both sides in their push for the play-offs, a win for the Red Devils would consolidate their place in the top six, while victory for their opponents would open the door for a charge into the six from the sides immediately outside the zone, including the Leeds Rhinos.

Fresh from hammering the Huddersfield Giants six days ago, the Leeds Rhinos made the trip to the Halliwell-Jones to face a Warrington Wolves side who fell to a surprise defeat at the hands of the Castleford Tigers on their last outing.

A win for the home side would put them back level on points with the league leaders, but unless it was by a margin of seventy points or more, they would still be second on points difference, while the Rhinos knew that they couldn’t improve their league position, but could get closer to seventh placed Hull KR.

The Wolves were the slight favourites with the bookies but with the Rhinos only having been given a two-point start on the coupon they really had a dilemma over who would win the game and take the two points.

If the rumours are to be believed, both coaches in tonight’s round sixteen Super League fixture at Emerald Headingley were both sipping from a drink already served in the last chance saloon as ninth took on tenth in an uninspiring fixture with both sides starting to drift too far from the play-off spots to make their end of season inclusion a likelihood.

The Rhinos were slight favourites with the bookies, the Giants having been given a four-point start on the coupon but with losses to the bottom two sides in their last two outings it would be a brave man who put his fifty pence on a home victory.

The Rhinos have lost their last four on the bounce while the Giants have lost their last two.

A win for the Rhinos would put them back in the eighth place that they lost the previous night to Hull FC, a win by twenty-two or more would lift the Giants above the Rhinos and into ninth.

Neither Wakefield Trinity nor Leeds Rhinos could improve their league position as a result of a win this afternoon at Belle Vue but for the home side it would be a first win of the season and reduce the arrears to the Tigers, for the visitors it would keep alive their hopes of a play-off spot and bring Hull KR’s seventh spot into focus.

Leeds were big favourites for the win with the bookies having given Trinity sixteen points start on the coupon but with a big partisan crowd expected, along with plenty making the short journey down the A650 to cheer on a Rhinos side who can´t decide whether they are brilliant or rubbish, and who display both traits in near equal measure.

It was anyone’s guess what would happen in the final game of Magic Weekend’s Saturday as two unpredictable sides took to the field with eighth placed Leeds Rhinos taking on a Castleford Tigers in eleventh place with only two wins so far this season, one against the Rhinos back in round five.

The Rhinos needed a massive win to lift them above St Helens into seventh on points difference, Castleford are three wins away from improving their league position, but the two points would give them some extra breathing space above the drop zone and Wakefield Trinity.

The Tigers were given an eight-point start on the coupon but anyone thinking of placing a bet was simply rolling the dice on the most unpredictable of fixtures, but with low expectations there was the chance that the game would serve up a classic.

The only thing separating the Leeds Rhinos and St Helens on the league table was points difference, the Saints having performed much better in defence over their opening twelve games than the Rhinos, who had themselves scored more points.

Leeds won the round three fixture at the Totally Wicked Stadium, the first loss for Saints after they become World Champions, but after exiting the cup last weekend at the hands of the Wigan Warriors, that seems like a long distant memory for Rhinos fans.

The Saints were favoured by the bookies going into the game with the Rhinos given a six point start on the handicap coupon, but it would all depend on which Rhinos side, Jekyll or Hyde, showed up for the game.

Both sets of supporters came into todays Challenge Cup sixth round encounter between the Leeds Rhinos and the Wigan Warriors with a hope that their side would win, and an expectation that they would lose, and the bookies had a similar dilemma as they struggled to pick a favourite to progress.

While Wigan are challenging for top spot in the table, and Leeds struggling to find any consistency in the bottom half, the Rhinos fought back from 14-0 down and played the second forty with twelve men but came back to record an incredible 40-18 victory at the DW Stadium.

The Rhinos made several changes with Ash Handley and Blake Austin both unfit and Zane Tetevano suspended after last week´s sending off.

Wigan had Liam Marshall and Ryan Hampshire back in their starting thirteen, but there was no place for Cade Cust.

Matt Peet´s side defeat at Hull KR last time out, a loss which cost them their place at the top of the table, ensured that their return to the DW Stadium was one that they would be desperate to mark with a win, as they took on the Leeds Rhinos in a Super League rehearsal of next weeks Betfred Challenge Cup sixth round tie.

The top of the Super League was far from the mind of Rhinos coach Rohan Smith who was more concerned about a top six finish and preventing his stars from facing up to one another in the tunnel, like they did after last weekend´s loss the Salford Red Devils.

Leeds had been given a ten-point start on the coupon with the Warriors strong favourites for a return to form, and possibly to the top of the table should leaders Warrington slip up against third placed Hull KR in one of tonight’s other Super League fixtures.

Seventh placed Leeds Rhinos had a tenth-round date over the Pennines with ninth placed Leigh Leopards with the home side knowing that a win by thirteen points or more would see them take the Rhinos ladder place while a win for the visitors would see them into the top five and depending on points difference and other results, as high as third.

Both sides won last time out and came into tonight’s game evenly matched on paper, so much so that the bookies could hardly separate them and giving the home side just a two-point start on the handicap coupon.

Both coaches named an unchanged starting thirteen from last weekend, the Rhinos bringing Bentley onto the bench in place of Johnson while the Leopards fielded an identical seventeen.

The last time that tonight’s visitors to Headingley won a game was on their last visit on the 24th February when Hull FC recorded a 22-18 victory over the Leeds Rhinos before they went on a six game losing streak.

The Rhinos rode their luck last time out and secured a narrow win over the Huddersfield Giants thanks to a second half fightback which saw them pick up their fourth win of the campaign and elevate themselves to seventh spot in the table.

The bookies had the Rhinos as strong favourites for the win giving the visitors a sixteen-point start on the handicap coupon.

The final game of the Rivals round saw the Leeds Rhinos host the Huddersfield Giants as seventh played eighth for a place in the top six at the end of the weekend and as the competition reached the quarter point of the 2023 season.

A win would take the Rhinos above their opponents today, but a win by twenty-nine or more points would see them above Salford and into sixth.

A win by more than sixteen would see the Giants above St Helens and into fifth spot in the table while if they were to beat the Rhinos by thirty-three or more, they would send Leeds below Leigh in the table.

The bookies had installed the Rhinos as slight favourites but had only given the Giants a two-point start on the coupon.

The scene was set for a classic battle between two evenly matched sides.

The 2023 Women´s Super League got underway as the first part of an Easter Sundey double-header when the defending Champions, Leeds Rhinos took on York Valkyrie in the opening Group 1 league game at Emerald Headingley before the Mens side took on the Huddersfield Giants.

Arch enemies for the whole of the 2022 season, this was a repeat of last year’s Grand Final on September 18th 2022 which saw the Rhinos record a 12-4 win to lift the trophy after York had only lost one game during the regular season, beat the Rhinos twice in the league, and had won the Minor Premiership with ease.

Both sides have made multiple personnel changes over the close season so this was a great opportunity to see who would be challenging for honours in the season ahead.

Fourth took on seventh as two sides tied on six points in the fledgling table met at Craven Park in the televised Friday night game with the home side installed as slight favourites with the bookies and giving the Rhinos a two point start on the handicap coupon.

With St Helens taking on bottom side Wakefield the likelihood was that either of these two sides would need a big winning margin to end the night in fourth on points difference, but both would probably settle for the top half of the table after round seven.

KR welcomed back Jordan Abdull to their line up but were without Shaun Kenny-Dowall, while the Rhinos were without Richie Myler and Nene MacDonald while they gave a debut to Luke Hooley at full back and welcomed Mikael Oledzki back into the side.

One of the two remaining Super League one-hundred-percenters, the Catalans Dragons, took on a Round Six trip to Emerald Headingley to take on a Leeds Rhinos side who suffered defeat at the hands of Castleford Tigers last weekend as they continued their indifferent start to the new campaign.

A win by forty-seven points or more would lift the Dragons above Warrington on points difference and into top spot in the table, while a win by forty points or more would see the Rhinos above Hull KR and into fourth spot.

In reality, neither winning margin was likely.

The Dragons were slight favourites with the bookies, but they were struggling to find much difference between the two sides, the Rhinos only getting a measly two-point start on the handicap coupon.

Just when you thought that things couldn´t get any worse for winless second bottom side Castleford Tigers; they announce that they have lost mercurial utility-back Jake Mamo to a career ending back injury; and then they have to face a Leeds Rhinos side who arrived at the Jungle for the derby game on the back of two wins as they look to continue their good form after a disappointing start to their season.

A win for the Rhinos would lift them to third in the table ahead of the rest of the weekend games and a win by twenty-three or more points would push the Tigers into bottom spot on points difference.

The Tigers needed a ninety-six point victory to raise them up by a single place in the table.

The Rhinos were favourites with the bookies but only just, the home side having been given an eight-point start on the handicap coupon.

As winter shook it´s angry fist at the north of England for the first time in 2023, the Rhinos had taken all necessary precautions to ensure that tonight´s match against bottom of the table Wakefield Trinity would be able to go ahead despite ample snow covering the side roads surrounding Headingley Stadium.

Wakefield came into the game still seeking their opening win of the new campaign while the Rhinos were looking to double up after their sensational last-gasp victory over World Club Champions St Helens in the last round at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

The bookies could see only one winner, giving Trinity a sixteen-point start on the coupon, but the Rhinos went into the game fully aware that they were massive underdogs last time out and still came away with the points.

Saints returned to the Totally Wicked Stadium for their first home game of 2023 after being crowned as the best side in the World as they faced the Leeds Rhinos in a repeat of the 2022 Grand Final.

Few could conceive of anything other than a Saints win, and most would predict that the margin of victory would be substantial after the Rhinos had started the season with back-to-back losses, Saints despatching the Castleford Tigers with some ease last Sunday.

The bookies favoured Saints and gave the Rhinos a fourteen-point start on the coupon, most observers thinking that this was a little over respectful to Rohan Smith´s side.

After suffering an opening round defeat at the hands of the Warrington Wolves, the Rhinos had a second-round home match with Hull FC as they looked to spoil the Airlie Birds winning start to the season and pick up two points of their own to boost the Headingly faithful.

Rohan Smith made two changes to his side from last week bringing Nene Macdonald in for his debut and starting with Cameron Smith in the thirteen.

Tony Smith made just one positional switch to his winning side, with Joe Lovodua coming into the starting line-up, and Chris Satae dropping to the bench.

Leeds were slight favourites with the bookies, FC being given a four-point start on the handicap coupon.