A star is born, a dishevelled Leeds side and St Helens v Leeds Rhinos talking points

St Helens hosted Leeds Rhinos in one of two Friday night Super League games, and it was set to be a tough battle with the two teams facing very different seasons so far.

St Helens went into the game having some decent performances in recent weeks, but against sides at the bottom end of the table.

With Jack Welsby missing, it was unclear as to how they would line up and who would create that magic going forward, as Welsby so often does, especially in big games.

Leeds’ form of late has been terrific, with five wins on the bounce, and heading to St Helens full of confidence.

It was St Helens who put in one of their best performances of the season, running out 18-4 winners over a Leeds side that looked dishevelled going forward.

Here are the main talking points as St Helens and Leeds Rhinos played out at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday night.

St Helens v Leeds Rhinos talking points

Odd attacking plays from the Rhinos

Leeds had a lot of strange passes in attack during the first half, especially when they looked so cohesive going forward in recent weeks. Plenty of attempted offloads to the wrong man, or they were simply the wrong play at the time. Coach Brad Arthur shared that it was their worst forty minutes of the season so far. It didn’t improve much better as it felt like they were trying to score with every effort late on. A 69% completion rate isn’t good enough to challenge at the very top.

Harry Robertson: a star is born

Jon Wilkin labelled him a star in the pre-match show, and he more than showed he’s worthy of keeping his spot. He made a superb effort to deny Ryan Hall a try in the corner, and he looked bright in attack too on the wing for the most part. He might be a star for the future, but he’s one of the best things about St Helens right now.

Jake Connor having a below-par performance

It seems that Leeds’ lack of attacking execution came off the back of a below-par performance of Jake Connor. He’s been one of the standouts of Super League this season, but it was just a bad night at the office for him. A couple of knock-ons and his confidence seemed to slip a little. There’s no doubt that he’s a top player, but perhaps Leeds have started to rely on his skillset too much.

Saints close to their best

Many didn’t think Saints had a prayer for tonight’s game, considering how well Leeds have been playing and how well St Helens haven’t been playing. With no Jack Welsby or George Whitby, you did wonder where Saints attack was going to come from. However, Tristan Sailor looked lively, and between Moses Mbye and Jonny Lomax, there was plenty of organisation and a solid kicking game.

A 96% completion rate

According to Super League’s website, St Helens completed at 96%, which is simply outstanding. Judging by the numbers, with 32 completed sets, that means there was just one incomplete set throughout the full eighty minutes. It’ll take a lot to beat that this season.

💪 The Saints get an important win over Leeds Rhinos at the Totally Wicked Stadium!#COYS | @LPL_Airport pic.twitter.com/N72Wr2arFi

— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) June 20, 2025