Leeds rout St Helens 34-6 at St Helens in Super League clash on 28 August 2026
Leeds Rhinos ran in six tries to beat St Helens 34-6 at St Helens in a Super League match on 28 August 2026, leaving St Helens’ hopes of reaching the playoffs hanging by a thread. The victory returned Leeds to the top of the table and strengthened their position ahead of the final two rounds.
Leeds’ win effectively secured them a top-two finish and the bye through the opening week of the playoffs, leaving them poised to rest up for a Super League semi-final; they remain in contention to finish the regular season on top. For St Helens, the defeat all but ends a 60-year record of making the end-of-season playoffs and hands control of their fate to other results with two rounds remaining. Brad Arthur said: “Next week decides the league leaders, and what a great position to be in.”
Jake Connor was an influential figure throughout as Leeds built an 18-0 half-time lead, guiding the Rhinos while St Helens were unable to convert early pressure into points. Tries for Chris Hankinson, Harry Newman and Cameron Smith came before the interval, illustrating Leeds’ clinical finishing when opportunities were created. Saints began the game brightly but failed to capitalise on early field position, allowing Leeds to dictate the tempo.
Ryan Hall’s score shortly after the restart pushed the margin to 22-0 and, according to the report, effectively ended the contest with around 30 minutes remaining. Jack Welsby’s “magnificent solo try” got St Helens on the scoreboard, but Leeds responded when Connor produced a sumptuous kick for Ash Handley to touch down and then used another kick to create the chance for Brodie Croft to score. Croft’s try was recorded as his 28th of the season and Connor finished with five goals.
St Helens’ interim coach Eamon O’Carroll described his reaction to the result: “I’m really disappointed. Not in the players, but for them. The start was what we wanted, it was attritional and we went after it but we lost some big moments after that, and Leeds showed their class.” The report notes Australia’s coach, Kevin Walters, will take charge of the Saints in 2027 and would have seen the scale of the challenge that awaits.
Match details and team lists were provided in the report. St Helens: Sailor, Douglas, Macdonald, Welsby, Cross; Robertson, Lomax; Suluka-Fifita, Shorrocks, Klemmer, Davies, Wright, Host. Interchange Walmsley, Humphreys, Keeley, Evans. Try Welsby. Goal Sailor. Leeds: Miller; Hall, Bird, Handley, Newman; Croft, Connor; Oledzki, O’Connor, Jenkins, Watkins, Hankinson, Cassell. Interchange Smith, Holroyd, Levi, Holroyd. Tries Hankinson, Smith, Newman, Hall, Handley, Croft. Goals Connor 5.
St Helens’ remaining matches are against fifth-placed Leigh and sixth-placed Hull KR, and the report states they now must win their last two games and win them well to retain any chance of reaching the top six. Leeds travel to Wigan next Saturday for a fixture described as effectively a decider for the League Leaders’ Shield.