Man of the match Cameron Smith’s game-breaking effort for Leeds Rhinos left beaten Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Substitute forward Smith was the difference between the teams as Rhinos hit back from 16-0 and 22-6 down to snatch a 24-22 away victory which secured their place in the play-offs.
And rival team bosses Powell and Brad Arthur had different reasons to be excited by the 27-year-old’s stellar effort.
Smith joined the action off the substitutes’ bench midway through the first half and led Rhinos’ remarkable rally, providing the final pass to Brodie Croft for their first try, scoring a fine solo effort and making a vital tackle to shove Trinity’s Cam Scott into touch just short of the line when his side trailed by four points with 20 minutes left.
Smith is in his testimonial season with Leeds, but will join Trinity when his contract expires this autumn, leaving Powell with mixed feelings.
He described Smith as “the defining player” and said: “I thought he was exceptional. He is a high-quality player and we signed him for a reason. He was the guy who won the game for them.”
Arthur was equally impressed. He stated: “He was very, very good when he came on. I thought our bench when they came on helped us in getting a bit back. Cameron’s foot speed and his late feet at the line caused them a bit of grief.”
Arthur hailed Smith’s try-saver on Scott as “unbelievable” and “the most important play of the game”.
He added: “It was a massive moment. He came on and changed the contest of our attack, but he did a tremendous job to stop that try in the corner.
“It wasn’t long before that we had a try disallowed when they made a great tackle in the corner. They are a great side as well.”
