Game three of the Magic weekend was a repeat of the 2015 Grand Final at Old Trafford. On that night the Rhinos achieved the treble against today's opposition, the Wigan Warriors, but what a difference seven months make, as the Rhinos currently sit bottom of the league.

Both sides were without a catalogue of superstars, and came into the game on the back of defeats last weekend. Recent Rhinos casualties included Burrow and Delaney and were forced to name Jamie Jones-Buchanan at hooker.

All the smart money was on the the Warriors as they pushed to join a whole host of teams on twenty Super League points.

The Rhinos stunned the big St James' crowd when Kallum Watkins scored the opener after Wigan were penalised for being offside. The Rhinos centre took an Adam Cuthbertson pass to avoid the tacklers and go ten to score. Jordan Lilley failed to add the two.

On sixteen Willie Isa edged Wigan in front, again after a penalty, when George Williams put in a short pass to Isa for him to go five metres to score a simple try. Matty Smith slipped his kick between the uprights for 6-4.

On seventeen, referee Hicks was replaced by Joe Cobb, after pulling a hamstring.

After Zak Hardaker failed to gather a kick through and Jordan Lilley picked the ball up from an offside position, Wigan took advantage and scored again when George Williams put through a grubber kick which Willie Isa picked up after a ten metres chase to ground. Smith added the two.

Danny McGuire had a try ruled out on thirty-two when he lost control of the ball in the act of scoring, and three minutes later and Kallum Watkins failed to score when he grounded on the dead-ball line from a grubber. It summed up the Rhinos season so far.

Leading 12-4 at half time, Wigan were not running away with the game like many thought they might. The Rhinos defence had shown a marked improvement from recent weeks and with a little bit of luck going their way it was they who could have had a half-time lead.

The second half was just two minutes old when Leeds again failed to gather a high kick and Sam Tomkins made the space for George Williams to step inside and out and go over. Smith converted for 18-4 and it was now a big task for the Rhinos to get back into the game.

Three minutes later and another Smith high kick, this time missed by Rhino Ash Handley enabled Dom Manfredi to collect and drop over the line. Smith missed the extras but at 24-4 it looked like the Warriors would be going back level top.

Ben Flower was the next to get over for the Warriors when he took a short ball to go over the top of Zak Hardaker and roll over to ground. Smith added the extras. The Rhinos had no answer.

It went from bad to worse when Leeds' Hardaker was sin-binned for a professional foul on Josh Charnley.

Down to twelve men, it was the Rhinos who scored next when Mitch Achurch pushed between four tacklers and went twenty metres to score in the corner. Lilley failed to convert leaving Leeds 28-8 behind.

Six minutes from time and Oliver Gildart crashed over the top of Ash Golding to get Wigan's sixth try of the night. Matty Smith converted off the right upright and crossbar for 34-8. Dan Sarginson went over two minutes later after a great John Bateman break and when Smith added the extras he brought up the forty.

This convincing 40-8 win for Wigan sees them up to fourth spot ahead of Saints game against the Giants tomorrow. The Rhinos stay bottom and it looks increasingly likely that they will be playing middle eights from the end of July.

Rhinos: Hardaker (SB), Golding, Watkins (T), Keinhorst, Handley, McGuire, Lilley, Singleton, Jones-Buchanan, Galloway, Ferres, Cuthbertson, Walters. Subs: Achurch (T), Mullally, Hallas, Briscoe.

Warriors: Tomkins S, Manfredi (T), Sarginson (T), Gildart (T), Charnley, Williams (T), Smith (6G), Crosby, Powell, Flower (T), Bateman, Isa (2T), O'Loughlin, Sutton. Subs: Mossop, Tautai, Burke, Sutton.

Referee: Robert Hicks, replaced by Joe Cobb after 17 Minutes

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