Key Points

• Leeds Rhinos beat St Helens 18-16 at Headingley in a Super League match played on Thursday, with Jake Connor central to the comeback.
• Leeds trailed 16-8 at half-time despite having the better of the first half, before recovering after the break.
• Jake Connor’s two penalties levelled the score at 16-16, and his second came after David Klemmer was shown a yellow card.
• Maika Sivo scored a late try to secure the victory for Leeds.
• The result extended Leeds’ lead at the top of the Super League table and marked an important response after their previous defeat to St Helens in 2025.

Leeds Rhinos (The Leeds Times) June 5, 2026, recovered from a half-time deficit to defeat St Helens 18-16 at Headingley on Thursday, with Jake Connor helping the home side rewrite a familiar script in a tight Super League contest.

What happened at Headingley?

Leeds began strongly and, according to the match report, had the better of the first half, but St Helens still reached the interval leading 16-8.
The second half shifted when Leeds settled into the contest again and used Jake Connor’s kicking to close the gap.
Connor first levelled the scores with a penalty before adding another after David Klemmer received a yellow card, giving Leeds a two-point lead.
Maika Sivo then scored the decisive late try to seal the win for the Rhinos.

Why was Jake Connor important?

As reported by BBC Sport, Leeds

“regained control of the match thanks to the kicking prowess of Jake Connor”.

His contribution mattered because Leeds had been under pressure after falling behind at half-time, and the penalties gave them a way back without needing to force risky attacking play.
That made the difference in a match where the margin stayed narrow and the outcome remained in doubt until late on.

How did St Helens respond?

St Helens had again threatened to turn the contest in their favour after building a half-time lead, but this time they could not close the game out.
The BBC’s report said Leeds’ advantage at the top of the table was widened by the victory, while St Helens were left frustrated after failing to hold on in a close away match.
The result also came against the backdrop of St Helens having beaten Leeds in a previous league meeting in 2025, when Leeds were described as sloppy and St Helens won 18-4.

What did the result mean for the table?

The victory strengthened Leeds’ position at the top of the Super League standings.
It also ensured the Rhinos turned a difficult-looking game into two valuable competition points against one of their major rivals.
For St Helens, the defeat meant they left Headingley without reward after being in control for long periods.

What does this say about Leeds?

The result suggested Leeds were capable of handling pressure in a close game rather than fading when a match became tense.
That was notable because the earlier pattern against St Helens had often involved Leeds pushing hard without getting the final reward, including in the 2025 meeting where St Helens took advantage of Leeds’ errors.
This time, Leeds showed greater composure in the decisive moments, especially through Connor’s kicking and Sivo’s late score.

Background of this development

Leeds and St Helens have produced several tightly contested Super League matches in recent seasons, and the rivalry has often hinged on which side makes the fewest mistakes late on.
In June 2025, St Helens beat Leeds 18-4 after taking advantage of a sloppy performance from the Rhinos, a result that underlined how costly handling errors and missed chances can be in this fixture.
A year later, Leeds reversed that storyline at Headingley by keeping the pressure on and finding a way through in the closing stages.

Prediction for supporters

For Leeds supporters, this result could build confidence that the team can manage pressure games and protect a lead in the final stages of the season.
It may also increase expectations around Jake Connor’s influence in tight matches, especially when Leeds need control rather than open play.
For St Helens fans, the defeat may raise concern about whether their side can sustain strong starts and convert them into results against direct rivals.