By Guy Harvey
The Rhinos’ scholarship side travelled to Merseyside on a sweltering Wednesday evening to close out their 2026 campaign against a St Helens side that had won every fixture of the season bar an opening-day draw with Wigan. Simon Brown’s men, meanwhile, arrived on the back of a difficult defeat to Castleford last time out and will have been eager to finish the year on a high note.
However, Leeds were left to rue a last-gasp Saints try after producing some of their best attacking rugby of the season, only to be denied at the death.
Tries from Lewis Kline, Joseph Gill, Dylan Baira, Alfie Quinn and Kazimierz Ciuraj-Davison had the Rhinos firmly in the contest, with Noah Sheriffe immaculate off the tee and Oliver Vincent slotting a penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking over. But for all their attacking threat, it was Saints who had the final word, crossing in the closing seconds to snatch the win and leave Leeds with nothing to show for their efforts.
Saints made the early running, punishing a Leeds knock-on inside their own half. Stand-off Joe Hart ran at the line, threw a dummy to open up space ahead of him, and stepped past the Leeds full-back to touch down before converting his own try to make it 6-0.
They doubled their lead minutes later when Aiden Rawsthorne broke down the right edge from inside his own half, racing deep into Leeds territory before finding Jensen Birchall unmarked on his inside shoulder to finish with ease. Hart’s conversion made it 12-0.
Leeds hit back minutes later through Lewis Kline, who dived over on the left edge after Leeds went through the middle, were held up short, and shifted the ball wide to find him. Sheriffe’s conversion made it 12-6, and the Rhinos were level minutes later when Joseph Gill broke through the middle and raced the length of the field to score, Sheriffe again splitting the posts to make it 12-12.
Leeds then edged in front when Lewis Kilner made a break to put his side into dangerous territory, and second-rower Dylan Baira crashed over from close range. Sheriffe’s boot made it 18-12. Saints hit back just before the break, Rawsthorne again breaking down the edge to find Birchall in support, and Hart’s conversion levelled things at 18-18 at half-time.
Leeds struck early in the second half, camped on the Saints line for a number of tackles before shifting the ball to the right edge for Alfie Quinn to squeeze over in the corner. Sheriffe’s toughest kick of the day, from the touchline, was true, making it 24-18.
Saints hit back almost immediately as Alfie Lyon broke the line before racing away untouched to score, Finlay James’s taking over kicking duties, adding the conversion and squaring things at 24-24.
Leeds would retake the lead in bizarre circumstances. Unable to escape their own 20, Saints’ last-tackle kick option went badly wrong, cannoning back off a defender and straight into the path of Kazimierz Ciuraj-Davison, who simply had to fall on the ball to score. Sheriffe added a straightforward conversion to make it 30-24.
With time running down, Leeds was awarded a penalty in easy kicking territory and with the option of an eight-point lead, Oliver Vincent stepped up and slotted home. It stretched the lead to eight points.
Saints hit back through Jensen Birchall, but the conversion was missed, leaving Leeds four points clear and it looked to be enough to see Leeds home, but with seconds left and Saints camped on the Leeds line, a chip kick evaded the Rhinos’ defence and fell into the path of centre Leo Gaskell, who dived on it to level the scores at 32-32. Finlay James held his nerve to land the conversion and complete the win, 34-32.
A cruel way for Leeds to finish, having led for large parts of an entertaining contest, but a bitterly disappointing result as the season draws to a close.
St Helens Scholarship
19. Dylan Barnes 2. Issac Davies 3. Ethan Bass 4. Leo Gaskell 5. Isaac Kelsey 6. Joe Hart 7. Reece McAdam 8. Spencer Lowe 9. Lucas Orgill 10. Connor Briggs 11. Robbie Simpson 12. Aiden Rawsthorne 13. Alfie Lyon Subs:- 1. Jensen Birchall 14. Kian Redford 15. Billy Bridge 16. Finlay James 17. Reuben Hirst 18. Havery Woolfenden 20. Oscar Kenny
Leeds Rhinos Scholarship
1.Noah Sheriffe 2. Wade Smith 3. Lewis Kilmer 4. Deacon Ellam 5. Alfie Quinn 6. Oliver Vincent 7. Charlie Medley 8. Kazimierz Ciuraj-Davison 9. Jordan Barker-Day 10. Ben Smith 11. Dylan Baira 12. Joe Gill 13. Bamidele Olasode Subs:- 14. Oliver Brown 15. Eli Kirrane-Perrin 16. Tristan King 17. Sam Spears 18. Jaylen Johnson 19. Laike Smith 20. Charlie Hagan
St Helens U16s 34 Leeds Rhinos U16s 32
