A place in the play-off’s was up for grabs as the third game of the Magic Weekend got underway with fifth placed Leeds Rhinos taking on a Hull FC side currently in seventh spot with a win Airlie Birds drawing them level with their opponents on fifty percent win percentage.
Leeds were without the perennially suspended Zane Tetevano and a whole host of injured players which saw Richie Myler moved into the halves and Jack Broadbent at full back.
FC made two changes with Jamie Shaul and Carlos Tuimavave back in their starting line-up as the Black and Whites looked to overcome being bookies underdogs and keep their hopes of a play-off place alive.
A Harry Newman grubber forced a Marc Sneyd knock-on deep inside the FC twenty with just two minutes on the clock and after conceding a penalty for interference and a second for a tip tackle, Rhyse Martin battles his way to the line and despite carrying three Hull defenders with him he stretched for the ground and the opening try of the game. Martin added the conversion and the Rhinos were off and running.
A late hit on Richie Myler by Jake Connor gifted Leeds a penalty ten from the FC line and Martin took the chance to extend the Rhinos lead by another two points.
A stroke of luck on ten minutes got the Airlie Birds back into the game when Danny Houghton collected a Sneyd ricochet off the post pad as Myler watched on to ground under the sticks. Sneyd added the conversion for 6-8.
Interference at the play-the-ball from Matt Prior gave Sneyd an easy penalty to level the scores on fourteen minutes, the game turning into an end to end encounter.
FC were in the front on nineteen when Leeds failed to deal with a Sneyd high kick to the corner which was tipped back by Connor into the hands of Carols Tuimavave to dive over in the right corner. Sneyd added the touchline conversion to put his side six points ahead.
Harry Newman forced a goal line drop-out from Hull and as Leeds returned the ball it was Newman himself who battered away two tacklers before diving for the line in a great show of brute force. Martin added the conversion to level the scores.
Three minutes from the break and the Black and Whites had a try ruled out for a Connor knock on but the decision from the video referee seemed to bemuse most in the stadium and on the pitch but when the Rhinos were found to be offside in front of the sticks Sneyd kicked the penalty to give his side a two point lead at the break.
After Luke Briscoe knocked-on a kick through, and the ball was collected by Kruise Leeming from an offside position, Sneyd elected to kick the penalty and added another two points to the Hull tally.
A Connor 40-20 set up the position for Hull and on the next play it was Connor who was on hand to take the pass and use his strength to carry three Leeds defenders with him and get the ball on the line. Sneyd added the conversion, his sixth kick of the game, to give Hull a ten-point lead.
On fifty-two it was the Rhinos turn to score a great try with a Harry Newman flick pass into the hands of Leeming who dived in at the right corner for the third Leeds try of the evening. Martin added the conversion from the touchline using the assistance of the far upright.
Luke Briscoe had a try ruled out for a foot in touch on sixty-three after Myler had been stopped within centimetres of scoring himself.
As the game entered the final ten minutes it was still up for grabs.
Leeds were level on seventy-one with Jack Broadbent taking a bullet pass from Myler and improve the angle, but Martin missed the simple conversion, the score 24-24 with seven minutes remaining on the clock.
On seventy-seven the Rhinos put good pressure on Sneyd and his attempted drop goal fell well short of the sticks and a minute later great Leeds defence again denied a Hull passing move.
The final hooter sounded the second eighty-minute draw of the day, and again the two sides of gladiators entered Golden Point.
Leeds had first use of the ball and after a great Ash Handley break on the last tackle, the ball ended up in the hands of Leeming who made an awful mess of an attempted drop goal.
With two minutes on the clock Jamie Shaul knocked-on but again Leeds spurned the drop goal attempt, the time Myler putting his kick wide of the uprights.
A Newman charge down and collect of a Sneyd drop goal attempt saw Leeds gain great position and this time is was Martin who attempted to kick again, this time hitting the cross bar as the hooter sounded to end the first period. Three Leeds efforts, three Leeds misses.
Six minutes into golden point a Sneyd attempted drop goal fell short.
Hull made a meal of a play-the-ball in their own twenty and gifted the Rhinos possession. They used their tackles and on the fifth tackle found Leeming in the pocket to finally put the all-important drop goal between the uprights to win the game and edge the Rhinos closer to the play-offs.
A second sensational game in a truly magical first day of magic.
Leeds Rhinos: Broadbent (T), Briscoe L, Briscoe T, Newman (T), Hadley, Myler, Lui, Vuniyayawa, Leeming (T, DG), Prior, Gannon, Martin (T, 4G), Thompson. Subs: Dwyer, Donaldson, Holroyd, Smith.
Hull FC: Shaul, Fonua, Scott, Tuimavave (T), Faraimo, Connor (T), Sneyd (6G), Sao, Houghton (T), Satae, Savelio, Ma’u, Johnstone. Subs: Bowden, Fash, McNamara, Wynne.
Half-Time: 14-16.
Full-Time: 24-24. Golden Point: 25-24.
Referee: Rob Hicks.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 8-0, 8-4, 8-6, 8-8, 8-12, 8-14, 12-14, 14-14, 14-16 : HT : 14-18, 14-22, 14-24, 18-24, 20-24, 24-24 : FT : 25-24 : Golden Point.
