Leeds move clear at top of Super League as Sivo treble stuns Warrington

With the two sides joint-top of Super League meeting in one of the standout games of 2026 thus far, this felt like an evening for someone to make a statement. How Leeds Rhinos did that, as they underlined why a first title since 2017 feels more possible than at any point over the past decade. In the end, Super League’s best defensive side versus the competition’s best attack was nothing more than a mismatch.

Warrington, so resolute and defensively brilliant under Sam Burgess this year, have not lost at home all season but they were clinically picked apart here by a Leeds side who have all the hallmarks of Grand Finalists and more. From the brilliance of Jake Connor – surely England’s scrum-half at this autumn’s World Cup – to the exhilarating excitement of the full-back Lachie Miller and the try-scoring prowess of winger Maika Sivo, who now could realistically break Super League’s all-time try-scoring record for a single season, there is so much to marvel at in this Leeds side. They were at their free-flowing best here to move two points clear of Warrington.

Leading 16-2 at half-time thanks to tries for Sivo, Brodie Croft and Harry Newman – with Connor and Miller involved in all of them – they quickly extinguished any prospect of a Wolves comeback after the break. It was on this ground two summers ago where Brad Arthur initially arrived on a short-term deal. He has since signed until the end of 2028 and has transformed a rudderless Leeds side into one that look like bona fide contenders.

“It was pretty good,” the Australian said. ” Meanwhile, this was a chastening night for Warrington. Burgess’s side have done superbly to respond after a difficult 2025 and put themselves in this position at the halfway point of the season, but this perhaps showed the work that is still to be done if they are to match the standard-bearers that Leeds clearly are.

Two of their three defeats this season have come against the Rhinos and they were beaten in the big moments in the first half to trail by 14 at half-time. They were then comprehensively outplayed after the restart and in the end, Burgess would probably have been grateful the final scoreline was not harsher than it could have been. But one defeat does not define a season.

“Parts of that were tough to watch,” Burgess said. ” Miller’s stunning pass for Chris Hankinson three minutes into the second half put the Rhinos in complete control, before Connor stepped up with two wonderful assists for Sivo to complete his hat-trick. He has 25 tries already in 2026 from 15 games, with Denny Solomona’s all-time record of 40 in a solitary season now clearly reachable for the Fijian.

Matty Ashton’s late try at least ensured the Wolves avoided the ignominy of failing to score at home but by then the statement had long been sent by the Rhinos. The challenges keep coming for them with the reigning champions, Hull KR, visiting Headingley next weekend in what represents another opportunity to stamp down their title credentials. Wigan are without doubt the best team in Super League at present with the way they are playing but this Leeds team, for the first time in a long while, must now be considered contenders too.