Leeds Rhinos Go Top of Super League After 12-Try Demolition of York Knights
Leeds Rhinos returned to the summit of the Betfred Super League table on 23 August 2026, dismantling York Knights 66-16 in a Round 24 fixture that produced twelve tries (BBC Sport).
The scoreline tells its own story, but the efficiency behind it is just as striking. Leeds posted a 99% completion rate — the percentage of tackles after which a team retains and plays the ball cleanly, rather than losing possession or conceding a penalty — while York managed 88% (Super League). In rugby league, where each side gets six tackles (a "set") before handing the ball over, completing your sets is the foundation of everything. Leeds rarely wasted a single one.
This was the third time Leeds had faced York in the 2026 season, and the margins have only widened. The Rhinos won 46-14 in February's home opener and again by the same scoreline in June (Leeds Rhinos). The 66-16 result in August was the most decisive of the three.
York, newly promoted to the Super League for 2026 (Leeds Rhinos), have found the step up unforgiving. Leigh Leopards had already exposed that gap in a 22-14 win over the Knights earlier in August, a result that kept Leigh's own play-off ambitions alive (Sky Sports).
For Leeds, the timing matters. They had already secured a play-off spot with a comeback win over Wakefield Trinity in early August (Sky Sports), but their form had wobbled either side of that achievement — a 22-24 loss on 31 July and a 16-20 defeat on 7 August sandwiched the Wakefield result. A 16-66 away win on 13 August signalled the resurgence, and the York demolition confirmed it.
Going top of the table at this stage of the season puts Leeds in pole position for a home tie in the play-off series, where a higher league finish means hosting rights and, crucially, fewer matches to reach the Grand Final. With rounds running down, every point matters.
What makes this performance stand out is the ruthlessness. Leeds scored twelve tries against a side they had already beaten twice this season, and they did it with near-flawless ball retention. For a team that had stumbled through late July and early August, this was a statement of intent delivered through pure efficiency rather than flair. The table now reflects it.
