Rhinos dig deep to secure derby win

Carl Ablett and Danny McGuire touched down in the final quarter as reigning engage Super League champions Leeds halted their recent slide with a 28-18 derby victory against Bradford Bulls.

The Rhinos went into the game having lost their previous two matches and five of their last eight outings, to raise serious question marks over their ability to defend their crown.

Bitter rivals Bradford did them no favours by edging 18-16 shortly after the break. But the Rhinos dug deep and Ablett touched down Matt Diskin's neat grubber on the hour mark to edge his side ahead. Mercurial stand-off McGuire added a fifth try in the closing stages to send a packed Headingley Carnegie into raptures.

The game exploded into life in the fifth minute when Rhinos scrum-half Rob Burrow and Bradford full-back Michael Platt were shown yellow cards for fighting.

The visitors took the lead when Paul Sykes touched down in the right corner and Iestyn Harris - a hate figure at Headingley following his decision to join the Bulls in 2004 rather than return to Leeds after an ill-fated spell in rugby union - converted from close to the touchline.

Yet Leeds responded in style with tries from young replacements Jordan Tansey, Luke Burgess and Nick Scruton, with Kevin Sinfield converting two of the three scores.

But Bradford remained firmly in contention at the break after centre James Evans squeezed over in the left corner for a try which Harris again converted with aplomb.

The Bulls were quickest off the mark again in the second half when Harris' high bomb caused panic in the Leeds rearguard. Evans did well to palm the ball back into the path on the onrushing replacement Wayne Godwin, who grounded under the posts and Harris converted with ease after video referee Ian Smith verified the score.

But Leeds were not to be denied and on the hour mark they claimed victory when Ablett was the quickest to a clever kick from Diskin and the battle-weary Burrow added the extras to put his side home and dry.

McGuire applied the coup de grace with two minutes with Leeds' fifth try from close range and Sinfield converted.