Brilliant Ryan Hall Edges Leeds Rhinos to Top Super League

Leeds are one win away from finishing top of the Super League table for the first time since 2004 after two more tries from their prolific young wing Ryan Hall settled a pulsating battle to lift them two points clear of St Helens.

Theoretically there was not much at stake, as the champions will not be determined for another five weeks, and there is little difference in the new top eight play-off structure between finishing first and second. But somebody had forgotten to mention that to the players, who belted each other – mostly legally – from first minute to last, engaged in a couple of vigorous scuffles in the closing stages, and served up another of the Leeds-Saints classics that have adorned the last three seasons in front of an attendance precisely three short of 20,000.

Keith Senior ended the match in the sin-bin after flattening Jon Wilkin, and Jamie Jones-Buchanan was put on report for a possible chicken wing tackle on James Graham. St Helens sprung a couple of selection surprises, with the England forward Jon Wilkin included after being ruled out earlier in the week with a knee injury, and Leon Pryce operating at full-back with Paul Wellens in the center to allow Kyle Eastmond to partner Sean Long in the halves.

Things did not go according to plan as Pryce was sent to the sin-bin in the fifth minute for a professional foul, but Saints defended manfully without him then took the lead with a classic counter-punch, Lee Gilmour steaming on to James Graham's perfect pass and around the Leeds full-back Brent Webb.

However the Rhinos gained control in the remainder of the first half, and after Carl Ablett had capitalized on one bout of pressure to put them level by spinning over from close range, Ryan Hall applied the finishing touch to another for his 28th try of the season in the 37th minute, Kevin Sinfield converting from the touchline for a 12-6 lead.

Senior had provided the final pass for Hall's first try, as with so many of his others, but the veteran center was caught flatfooted early in the second half by Chris Flannery, who cut Saints' deficit to 12-10. But Eastmond, who had kicked a tricky conversion to Gilmour's try, now fluffed an easier attempt to equalize, allowing Leeds to stretch six points clear when Hall sidestepped his opposite number Ade Gardner for his second. Sinfield missed the conversion, but settled this skirmish with a 73rd-minute penalty. Roll on the play-offs.

Leeds Rhinos Webb; Donald, Smith, Senior, Hall; McGuire, Burrow; Leuluai, Diskin, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield. Interchange Lauitiiti, Bailey, Kirke, Burgess.

St Helens Pryce; Gardner, Gidley, Wellens, Meli; Eastmond, Long; Graham, Cunningham, Puletua, Gilmour, Flannery, Wilkin. Interchange Roby, Hargreaves, Clough, Fa'asavalu.

Referee P Bentham (Warrington)