Two of the teams that will end the season in the middle eights competition, kicked off the final round of the regular season as Hull KR welcomed the Leeds Rhinos. The prize on offer was four home games in the middle eights, and both sides were desperate to finish as high up the table as they could.

The Rhinos had four wins in their last five outings but KR had only managed one in their last five. The Rhinos were the bookies favourites, and after spending much of the season propping up the rest of the table, some end of season form could see them finish ninth.

The Rhinos were without McGuire, Delaney and Moon while KR were missing Thornley and Donaldson, amongst others. There was some suspicion that both sides were not risking borderline fit players ahead of the crucial middle eights.

The home side opened the scoring on the quarter hour when Matthew Marsh picked up a John Boudebza grubber to stroll through a broken Leeds defensive line to score. The try being close to the sticks gave Josh Mantellato a simple conversion.

The Rhinos were back on level terms within three minutes thanks to an excellent forty metre solo effort off a Rob Burrow pass. Liam Sutcliffe added the conversion. Within two minutes the Rhinos hit the front. A fluid passing and offloading move saw them make good ground before Rob Burrow went twenty metres scything through the Robins defence from twenty metres. Sutcliffe added the extras for 12-6.

On thirty-five, KR got their second of the game when Albert Kelly found Maurice Blair with a back-hand pass to go twenty metres and stretch for the line. Mantellato slipped the ball left of the uprights to leave his side two points down at the interval.

With the second half just a minute old, Albert Kelly broke downfield and then put in a short kick inside which was picked up by Thomas Minns who then passed to the supporting Ken Sio to cross, completing a length of the field effort. Mantellato added the extras to regain KRs lead.

A sixty-third minute bomb from Rob Burrow caused confusion in the KR defence and allowed Burrow to regain the spilled ball. Leeds played the ball fast and after going through a couple of pairs of hands it was James Segeyaro who broke the line and grounded behind the sticks to give Sutcliffe a simple conversion for 18-16 to the Rhinos.

Three minutes from time and Thomas Minns put the ball to ground on his own twenty for Ryan Hall to accept the open invitation to pick up the ball and run it over the whitewash to score behind the sticks. Sutcliffe added the extras for 24-16 and the Rhinos were home and dry.

With just over sixty seconds left KR picked up a dropped ball and Minns kicked through from Kieron Dixon to collect and dive over. Mantellato failed to convert a hastily taken conversion. With twenty seconds left the clock beat the KR fightback and victory belonged to Leeds.

It was a game where ferocious defences ruled and neither attacks really had the opportunities. It was a crucial game for finishing league positions and both sides knew it. The Rhinos are now guaranteed at least tenth spot and four home games. KR will now end the season in the bottom two with a tougher four away games in the middle eights.

KR: Cockayne, Sio (T), Minns, Blair (T), Mantellato (2G), Marsh (T), Kelly, Walker, Boudebza, Tilse, Greenwood, Larroyer, Lawler. Subs: Dixon (T), Cator, Mulhern, Green.

Rhinos: Sutcliffe (4G), Briscoe, Watkins, Keinhorst (T), Hall (T), Lilley, Burrow (T), Galloway, Segeyaro (T), Singleton, Ferres, Ablett, Jones-Buchanan. Subs: Cuthbertson, Achurch, Garbutt, Golding.

Referee: Robert Hicks.

Attendance: