Leeds Rhinos U18s 36 Huddersfield Giants U18s 28

The Leeds Rhinos Under-18s secured a 36-28 victory against the Huddersfield Giants at AMT Headingley, however, the young Rhinos had to put in a lot of effort to earn the win.

Prior to the male team playing against Leigh on Global MND Awareness Day, everyone came together to honor Rob Burrow CBE. The young Rhinos, who were coached by Burrow for three years, had their opportunity to show their appreciation before the game.

Before the match, the Academy manager Tony Smith decided to make four adjustments to the team that played against St Helens less than a month ago. Hooker Elliott Fox finally made his debut after being sidelined with an injury for a while. Dylan Hutchinson took the place of Joe Diskin as the full back, while Joe Phillips returned to the forwards after missing the previous game due to injury. Phillips, Marcus Qareqare, Jayemm Oladipupo, and Presley Cassell were all aiming for impressive performances in the upcoming match, especially since they were selected to represent Paul Anderson's England Academy team against France.

The team playing at home scored first within three minutes of the game starting. Presley Cassell made a quick pass to Joe Butterfield, who managed to get past the Huddersfield team's defense, but was stopped by Giants full back Logan Blacker. However, the Rhinos remained calm and their smooth passing skills caught Huddersfield off guard. Brown saw an opportunity, broke through the defense, and scored a point for the team.

Dylan Hutchinson almost scored another try after Bailey Fitzgibbon made a mistake. He found space on the side with more players than the opposition, so it seemed like he would score. However, the defense managed to stop him just before the try line. The Rhinos then scored their second try of the game through Callum Webster, increasing their lead to 10-0 after 20 minutes.

The Rhinos quickly scored again, with substitute Jayemm Oladipupo making a break through the Giants' defense. Despite showing great speed, the prop held onto the ball and passed it to teammate Noah Whittingham, who scored Leeds' third try.

Beau Morrison scored a try for the Giants after grabbing Bailey Fitzgibbon's pass, but Leeds ultimately had the upper hand. Taking advantage of Huddersfield's mistakes, the Rhinos pushed towards the try line until Declan White managed to break through and score. With two more successful conversions from Thomas, Leeds went into halftime leading 22-6.

The beginning of the second half couldn't have been better for Leeds as they took advantage of a mistake by Jacob Stead. Hutchinson scored his first try of the game, finding a gap to slide over the try line and increase the home team's lead to 20 points.

Blacker scored for the Giants, but the Rhinos continued to play aggressively. Harry Smith managed to break through the defense and pass the ball to Whittingham, who scored his second goal of the game.

The competition reached a high point when both teams reached a stalemate as the game neared the one-hour mark. However, the Giants gained energy when Andrew Gill joined the game and scored a try with 20 minutes remaining. The full back, Blacker, also scored a try for the second time, bringing the score difference to eight points.

The Rhinos were no longer under pressure, and the team seized the opportunity to score. Smith and Brown's excellent ball handling skills allowed Thomas to pass the ball to Harry Taylor, who scored in the corner. This increased the score to 36-22.

A kick from Brown with a 40/20 ratio didn't result in points for the Rhinos, but Leo Ward managed to score a consolation try for the Giants just before the end of the game.

1. Dylan Hutchinson, 2. Harry Taylor, 3. Marcus Qareqare, 4. Harley Thomas, 5. Callum Webster, 6. George Brown, 7. Harry Smith, 8. Joe Phillips, 14. Mason Corbett, 10. Joe Butterfield, 11. Jacob Stead, 12. Bobby Hartley, 13. Presley Cassell The list includes the following players: 1. Dylan Hutchinson 2. Harry Taylor 3. Marcus Qareqare 4. Harley Thomas 5. Callum Webster 6. George Brown 7. Harry Smith 8. Joe Phillips 9. Mason Corbett 10. Joe Butterfield 11. Jacob Stead 12. Bobby Hartley 13. Presley Cassell

Subs: 14. Elliott Fox, 15. Jayemm Oladipupo, 16. Noah Whittingham, 17. Declan White (18th Reserve – Dax Millington)

Attempts: Brown (3), Webster (19), Whittingham (25, 51), White (37), Hutchinson (43), Taylor (68)

1. Logan Blacker, 2. Roman Sharma, 3. Beau Morrison, 4. Matthew Hanley, 5. Bailey Fitzgibbon, 6. Jack Ward, 7. Leo Ward, 8. Charlie Land, 9. Monty Lumb, 10. Patrick Houston, 11. Max Merta, 12. Archie Sykes, 13. Jacob Algar

Substitutes: 14. Andrew Gill, 16. Harley Firth, 15. Zach Brown, 17. Noah Broadbent (Reserve - Samuel Beety)

Attempts: Morrison attempted a shot on goal at the 33rd minute, followed by Blacker at the 46th and 62nd minutes, Gill at the 58th minute, and L. Ward at the 76th minute.