Rugby league fans know it as Wembley-itis; the inexplicable loss of form suffered by a team before a Challenge Cup final which has afflicted some of the game’s finest teams down the years – yet this Leeds Rhinos squad seem immune to it in 2015.
And as well as winning games at will before the Wembley meeting with Hull KR later this month, the Rhinos seem to be able to win games in a variety of different ways. They dispatched Warrington last week in the most scintillating manner, running in tries aplenty and were simply too hot to handle, but this win against second-placed Wigan – in conditions more befitting Noah’s Ark than a summer’s evening in West Yorkshire – was a gritty, determined and ultimately well-fought victory against a Warriors side who matched Leeds them in terms of tries scored.
Four tries apiece – with one of Leeds’s right on half-time tinged with controversy – illustrates how close Wigan were throughout but Leeds had a little bit too much in the key areas and secured a fifth consecutive win, proving that their quest to retain the Challenge Cup is not causing an unwelcome distraction just yet.
“I thought we were very controlled in the opening hour,” said the Leeds coach, Brian McDermott. “We’ve had to find a new way to play this year and there’s a different dynamic to us. I thought we had to be very good defensively but it was simply too nervy for us at the end.”
Wigan were worthy competitors and remain in second place after St Helens’ defeat by Hull but they may point to a key moment just before half-time when Kevin Sinfield appeared to knock-on in the build-up to a Ryan Hall try – with the try being given to hand Leeds a 16-point cushion at the break.
“It was an important call,” said the Wigan coach, Shaun Wane. “But it is what it is and there’s no point even talking about it, even though it was a frustrating call.”
The wet weather had a significant impact on both teams’ expansiveness throughout but Leeds forged a half-time lead after tries from Kallum Watkins, Joel Moon and that controversial score from Hall made it 20-4, with Wigan’s only points coming from a Liam Farrell try.
The game suffered a lengthy stoppage towards the end of the first half after the Leeds forward Mitch Achurch was knocked out, with that long delay impacting on the intensity and flow of the game after the restart. But Wigan responded strongly just before the hour mark as Farrell barged over for his second try to give them hope, only for a try from Watkins and a drop goal from Zak Hardaker to put Leeds into a commanding position.
To their credit Wigan kept fighting, but late tries from John Bateman and Dom Manfredi proved nothing more than consolation as Leeds held on for another victory to extend their lead at the summit to four points. Wane admitted afterwards it had the feel of a Grand Final – few would complain if this was the line-up come Old Trafford in October.
Leeds Hardaker; Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hall; Sinfield, McGuire; Garbutt, Cuthbertson, Peacock, Ward, Ablett, Singleton.
Interchange Burrow, Leuluai, Achurch, Keinhorst.
Tries McGuire, Moon, Hall, Watkins Goals Sinfield 4. Drop goal Hardaker.
Wigan Bowen; Charnley, Gelling, Bateman, Manfredi; Williams, Smith; Flower, McIlorum, Clubb, Tomkins, Farrell, O’Loughlin. Interchange Powell, Mossop, Patrick, Sutton.
Tries Farrell 2, Bateman, Manfredi Goal Bowen.
Referee R Silverwood. Attendance 15,026.
