Leeds Rhinos have cruised to an emphatic 41-16 win over St Helens at Langtree Park in the Super League this evening.
Ash Handley got the visitors off to a strong start, scoring two tries in just over 15 minutes as St Helens struggled to keep possession.
Zak Hardaker and Danny McGuire added to the Leeds advantage before Handley completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half time, leaving the visitors in control at the break.
Tommy Makinson added the only points in the first half for the defending champions, scoring on the break just a couple of minutes before the interval.
Jordan Turner gave St Helens some hope in the second half with a couple of tries in the first 20 minutes after the restart, but Liam Sutcliffe ended any chance of a comeback when he powered over for the Rhinos' sixth try of the evening, while Joel Moon rounded off the win in the final minute.
The result keeps Leeds at the top of the table, six points clear of their opponents, who remain second.
Sian Cowper
