Fourth took on seventh as two sides tied on six points in the fledgling table met at Craven Park in the televised Friday night game with the home side installed as slight favourites with the bookies and giving the Rhinos a two point start on the handicap coupon.
With St Helens taking on bottom side Wakefield the likelihood was that either of these two sides would need a big winning margin to end the night in fourth on points difference, but both would probably settle for the top half of the table after round seven.
KR welcomed back Jordan Abdull to their line up but were without Shaun Kenny-Dowall, while the Rhinos were without Richie Myler and Nene MacDonald while they gave a debut to Luke Hooley at full back and welcomed Mikael Oledzki back into the side.
A downpour and large partisan crowd welcomed the two sides to the field, KR with the advantage of the wing in the first half.
There were plenty of early errors from both sides.
On nineteen minutes Leeds knocked-on twenty from their own line and after good pressure from KR they forced a goal line drop out which didn´t make the ten metres. Lachlan Coote kicked an easy penalty to give his side the lead.
On twenty-four a wonderous Jordan Abdull left footed grubber kick found a gap and as the Leeds defence failed to deal with the ball, it was collected by Louis Senior to ground with some ease. KR with a deserved eight-point lead.
On twenty-eight it got even better for the Robins as confusion in the Rhinos defence as they made an absolute porridge of an Abdull grubber and allowed Sauaso Sue to pounce on the loose ball and ground. Coote was again on target with the boot and with the Rhinos unable to get into the KR half the home side were pulling clear.
The Rhinos were having a defensive nightmare as they were struggling to hold onto any high ball and they were being tormented by Abdull´s boot.
The second half was just eighteen seconds old when KR made a mockery of the wind when Sue regained the kick off and on the next play the ball Kane Linnett scooted to dive over. Coote was wide with his conversion attempt.
Leeds finally broke their duck with their first attack of the game on forty-six, Luis Roberts grounding an Aidan Sezer kick through to the corner. Rhyse Martin added the conversion and the Rhinos had cut the deficit to twelve points.
Leeds were called offside inside their own ten on fifty-three minutes, Coote kicking the penalty goal to again extend the lead.
On seventy three the Rhinos were in for their second, James McDonnell getting on the end of a Sezer pinpoint grubber kick to snatch the ball from the grasp of Coote to dive in. Martin added the conversion, the margin down to eight points with six minutes remaining. But it was too little and too late for the Rhinos.
The game was won in the first half by the incredible kicking game of Jordan Abdull as he built a platform for his KR side to take the game to the Rhinos in relentless fashion and not allow their visitors to hit any kind of groove. KR drop to fifth, despite the win, while the Rhinos are unchanged in seventh. Another great win for KR, more food for thought for Rohan Smith as his side continue to blow hot and cold.
Hull KR: Coote (4G), Senior (T), Wood, Batchelor, Hall, Lewis, Abdull, Kennedy, Parcell, King, Halton, Linnett (T), Minchella. Subs: Sue (T), Litten, Hadley, Luckley. 18th Man: Storton.
Leeds Rhinos: Hooley, Fusitu´a, Newman, Martin (2G), Olpherts, Austin, Sezer, Holroyd, O´Connor, Tetevano, McDonnell (T), Bentley, Smith. Subs: Oledzki, Roberts (T), Lisone, Sangare. 18th Man: Johnson.
Half-Time: 14-0.
Full-Time: 20-12.
Score Progression: 2-0, 6-0, 8-0, 12-0, 14-0 : HT : 18-0, 18-4, 18-6, 20-6, 20-10, 20-12 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Hull KR.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
