Leeds Rhinos beat St Helens 28-12 and moved up to second in the Women's Super League. Connie Boyd scored twice, while the result also ended St Helens' unbeaten league run and pushed Leeds into a stronger spot at the top end of the table.
Connie Boyd opens the scoring
Boyd struck first in the 12th minute, setting Leeds on the way before Mel Howard took control of the game. Howard shifted the ball out to Ebony Stead three minutes before half-time, and Stead finished the move to stretch the lead further.
Ruby Enright added Leeds' third try on the stroke of half-time, giving the home side a 16-point lead at the break. Howard then scored after the restart and converted her own try, which kept Leeds clear even before St Helens found a response.
St Helens fight back late
Rachael Woosey sent Dani McGifford away for St Helens' first try, with Faye Gaskin adding the extras from the touchline. Five minutes later, Katie Mottershead scored from close range to cut the gap again and force Leeds to protect the result in the closing stages.
Leeds still finished the stronger side. Ebony Stead raced down the wing and found Boyd on her inside for the final try, sealing a 28-12 win and a four-match Super League winning run for Leeds Rhinos.
Leeds move above St Helens
The result put Leeds Rhinos above St Helens in the Women's Super League standings and left St Helens with their first league defeat of the season. For Leeds, the margin was enough to turn a tight contest into a clear jump in the table, with the late tries from St Helens failing to stop the shift.
St Helens built pressure after Leeds had established that 16-point cushion, but the final score still reflected the early work done by Boyd, Howard and Stead. That left Leeds with the better record and St Helens looking at a rare setback after a run that had stayed intact until this meeting.
