Leeds Rhinos Beat Castleford Tigers 22-4 at Headingley After Sivo Hat-Trick
Sunday at 3: 00 p. m. ET — Leeds Rhinos secured a 22-4 victory over Castleford Tigers at Headingley as Maika Sivo completed a hat-trick, extending a winning sequence that has given the club momentum after an opening defeat.
Why now: seven days after a 58-6 win in Las Vegas over Hull KR and coming off an opening-round defeat by Leigh that Sivo missed, Leeds carried form into a tougher local derby and saw their in-form winger add three more tries to his season tally.
Leeds Rhinos at Headingley: how the scoring unfolded
George Brown opened the scoring with a composed finish under pressure to put Leeds on the board, and Sivo stretched the lead following a Castleford score by Mikaele Ravalawa. Sivo added a second shortly after the restart and completed his hat-trick with a corner finish set up by a one-handed offload from Chris Hankinson.
Leeds had a first-half score from Cameron Smith ruled out for a knock-on in the build-up, and Castleford’s Zac Cini also had a second-half try disallowed for a knock-on. Castleford applied heavy pressure in the final 20 minutes but were repelled by determined Leeds defence, leaving the final score 22-4.
Momentum shift: Las Vegas rout, Sivo’s scoring spree and squad changes
Leeds’ run of three straight victories follows the 58-6 Las Vegas result over Hull KR where Sivo scored four tries, and his hat-trick at Headingley takes him to nine tries in three matches. That surge has helped Leeds recover from their opening-round defeat by Leigh, which Sivo missed. Squad changes also played a part: Brodie Croft was ruled out, prompting Brad Arthur to start 19-year-old George Brown at stand-off, and James McDonnell withdrew on the morning of the game, with Ethan O’Neill named in the starting 13.
Player ratings, crowd and consequences for both sides
Individual assessments from the match highlighted Sivo and Kallum Watkins with top marks, while George Brown earned praise for his stand-off display and a vital second-half tackle. Leeds used interchanges including O’Connor, Holroyd, Hankinson and Mata’utia; Castleford’s bench included Golding, Ashworth, Hall and Lawler. Attendance at Headingley was 15, 301, and Castleford have now lost three of their opening four fixtures.
Both teams face Challenge Cup commitments next weekend; Leeds will visit Wakefield on Friday at 7: 45 p. m. ET, and Castleford host St Helens on Saturday. If Leeds maintain Sivo’s scoring form, their recent momentum could carry into those cup ties.
