Leeds Rhinos came from behind to defeat Wakefield Trinity and all but officially secure the League Leaders Shield as they put in an incredible second-half performance.
Trailing 16-6 at half time, Leeds won 24-22 with Chris Hankinson’s 78th minute try securing the win for the Rhinos but they did plenty of damage in the half hour prior to that.
It’s a win that means Leeds are firmly in the driving seat for the League Leaders Shield but it also confirms that they will be playing in the play-offs, whilst Wakefield could slip to third if Wigan Warriors beat Toulouse Olympique on Saturday.
Here are all our talking points after an incredible clash at Belle Vue.
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Wakefield Trinity versus Leeds Rhinos talking points
League Leaders Shield almost sealed
A win like this tonight is a sign of a side who will never go away and it also likely confirms Leeds as the League Leaders Shield winners.
Wigan will of course play on Saturday and could draw back within two points of the Rhinos but Leeds’ superior points difference is effectively worth an extra win.
With that one piece of silverware almost boxed off now, it’s onto the Grand Final for Leeds and based on how they managed to win this, you would not put it past them.
Pack power
Second versus first is always going to provide some moments of quality and the most impressive moments tonight came from those on the bench.
Wakefield flipped the game on its head midway through the first half after soaking up plenty of pressure as the introduction of Caleb Hamlin-Uele and Caius Faatili simply broke Leeds.
Faatili’s barnstorming run saw him bump off Mikolaj Oledzki as Hamlin-Uele backed him up to score Trinity’s second but that pack would eventually be undone by one of their own 2027 signings.
Cam Smith stars
If Hamlin-Uele and Faatili made an impact off the bench then Cam Smith went above and beyond as he played perhaps his best game in a Leeds Rhinos shirt and it came against the club he’s signed with for 2027.
Smith was everything that Leeds’ pack wasn’t in the first half – direct, powerful, willing to run – and ultimately, he proved the difference in this game as he scored one try, saved another, and put in a simply incredible performance.
His try to bring Leeds within one score was spectacular but he backed it up just minutes later with a try-saving tackle on Cam Scott with the former Rhinos skipper showcasing Wakefield exactly what they’ll be getting in 2027.
Wakefield lose 100% record
Prior to tonight, Wakefield Trinity had won every Super League game in 2026 when they had taken the lead. On twelve times they had opened the scoring and on twelve times they won. Tonight that record ended.
Leading in the 77th minute, it looked like that record would carry over but Leeds Rhinos had something to say about that as Brad Arthur recorded his first win coaching at Belle Vue, having lost his two previous visits.
Leeds’ need for impact forward evident
In the first half when Wakefield introduced Faatili and Hamlin-Uele, something become very evident and that was Leeds’ own lack of huge power off the bench.
Cam Smith came on and played a blinder but the Rhinos don’t have a stereotypical big bopper, something they did have last year as Sam Lisone played 27 games, all off the bench.
With Ian Blease recently teasing that the club have a signing in their sights and the reports from Sky Sports that Hull FC’s Herman Ese’ese could well be on his way to Headingley, tonight’s first half showing should be enough for Leeds to try and pull the trigger on a player such as Ese’ese.
He’s a marquee man on a long-term deal so a mid-season signing would be quite spectacular but if the finances can work then it’s also a signing that may well secure the Rhinos a first Grand Final since 2017.
WHAT A COMEBACK! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/9V7RSKZXR3
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) August 7, 2026
