St Helens fans angered by debatable late decisions in Leeds defeat - including Konrad Hurrell sending-off

Saints were brought down to earth with a resounding bump on a Friday night when they paraded the World Club Challenge trophy around a jam-packed Totally Wicked Stadium.

It was supposed to be a special homecoming to mark their stunning 13-12 victory over Penrith Panthers a couple of weeks ago but Leeds Rhinos put a spanner in the works during a dramatic and controversial 80 minutes which went down to the wire.

Half back Blake Austin slotted over a crucial drop goal in the dying embers of the game to give the Loiners a narrow 25-24 victory - their first of the new Betfred Super League season - but at the same time far from happy home fans were angered by one or two debatable late decisions, including the sending-off of former Leeds centre Konrad Hurrell.

Twice Saints were also reduced to 12 men - Sione Mata’utia (8 mins) and Curtis Sironen (58 mins) both being sin-binned and Hurrell given his marching orders with seconds remaining on the clock.

The disruptions did not help the defending champions in their unsuccessful bid to pick up maximum points from a blood and thunder encounter in which both sides created sufficient chances to have emerged victorious.

New head coach Paul Wellens - in charge of his first home game of the campaign - didn’t dwell on moments of controversy - but focused on the shortcomings of his players on the night.

He said: "We were singing team songs in the dressing room and clapping before the start of the match and maybe it papered over some of the cracks we still need to work on."

Wellens added: “I think certain aspects of our game weren’t there tonight. In periods we lacked some concentration and in the late on we lacked some discipline and composure, which is unlike us in big games.

“We’ve got to keep our cool in those types of moments and we didn’t quite do that tonight. It’s a valuable lesson that we need to learn because we make ourselves easier to beat when we’re in that frame of mind.

“We didn’t get the rub of the green in certain situations but that’s completely out of our hands now and all we can do is move forward as a team and try to improve off the back of this. There is a great learning opportunity here if we are prepared to take it.”

Wellens conceded the Rhinos were good value for their first win over Saints since 2018 after clinging on for long periods in the match, not least during a critical period in the second half when they trailed by 12 points and Tommy Makinson missed a golden chance to kick his side into a three-score lead.

The Rhinos, bolstered by two tries and four conversions from Rhyse Martin, capitalised on their periods of numerical advantage and ultimately set themselves up to get their first points of the season in style.

Leeds head coach Rohan Smith said he had no doubts Austin would seize his chance to win the game and insisted the Rhinos did enough to earn the spoils.

Saints’ team: Welsby, Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Lussick, Lees, Mata’utia, Sironen, Knowles, Subs: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wingfield, Bell, Royle.

Tries: Dodd (20, 28), Percival (46).

Conversions: Makinson ( 4/4).

Sin-bin: Mata’utia (8), Sironen (58).

Red card: Hurrell (79).

Leeds: Myler, Fusitu’a, McDonald, Handley, Olpherts, Austin, Sezer, Holroyd, O’Connor, Tetevano, McDonnell, Martin, Smith. Subs: Leeming, Sangare, Walters, Donaldson.

Tries: Hanley (11), Martin (24,70), Smith (59). Conversions: Martin (4/4).

Referee: Chris Kendall.

Half-time: 18/12. Full-time: 24-25.

Attendance: 15,148.