Dazzling Sinfield: Kev's laser show helps Leeds ride out Storm

Sinfield, Rhinos' Captain Fantastic, ignored the distraction to kick the goal and complete a man-of-thematch display against NRL Grand Final winners Melbourne Storm.

It was not a classic and it was never likely to be in the conditions. But Leeds maintained the stranglehold of Super League clubs on the Carnegie World Club Challenge — the seventh home success in the past eight seasons.

They did it after losing Great Britain stand off Danny McGuire with a shoulder injury in the first half which meant Sinfield had to switch from loose forward. There were other heroes but Sinfield was the star as Leeds reprised their 2005 victory over Canterbury Bulldogs, also under his captaincy on the same ground.

Sinfield said: 'We've been building for this ever since the Grand Final last year. We've been getting better each week in the Super League. 'Credit to Melbourne, they've come over here and paid a lot of respect to the competition. It could have gone either way.'

Victory gave new coach Brian McClennan another night to remember at Elland Road where he led New Zealand to Tri-Nations glory in 2005.

The conditions — swirling wind and rain — were hardly conducive to a free-flowing showpiece. Like true professionals, they gave it their best shot but had to play conservatively.

Melbourne ripped into Leeds and although a Sinfield penalty from in front of the uprights gave the Rhinos an early lead after Storm full back Billy Slater had passed the ball off the floor, it did not last. Melbourne scrum half and captain Cooper Cronk was a livewire and from his pass, second rower Ryan Hoffman shrugged aside Clinton Toopi to score in the corner. That was not the way New Zealand Test centre Toopi, a Leap Year baby, wanted to celebrate his 'seventh' birthday.

There was worse to come for Leeds when they lost McGuire midway through the first half when he seemed to be caught by an elbow off the ball. Gareth Ellis, the Leeds forward who is heading to the NRL for the next three seasons with Wests Tigers, was in the vanguard of most of Leeds' drives as the big men kept the ball moving.

Leeds coach McClennan had aired his concerns before the game about referee Ashley Klein policing the rucks properly and not allowing Melbourne to slow them down. The number of penalties awarded against his team added to the frustration but Leeds got the right call when they needed it, two minutes before the break.

Their most productive attack of the half ended with full back Brent Webb hurling a pass to Scott Donald, who crossed in the corner for Sinfield to convert brilliantly — but only after video referee Phil Bentham had ruled against a forward pass by Webb.

So Leeds led 8-4 at the break and went for the jugular at the restart.

Within minutes the forwards were squaring up to each other after Toopi had been upended by Melbourne's Russell Aitken.

It was something and nothing but underlined how much the teams wanted to win.

Rhinos' game plan was disrupted by the loss of McGuire, who was unable to return, but Rob Burrow was as courageous as ever at scrum half with Sinfield as his partner.

And it was Sinfield who nudged the Rhinos further ahead with a penalty from 35 metres after Burrow had been obstructed by prop Jeff Lima. Sinfield did well to maintain his concentration, complaining that the laser light was being directed at him as he lined up the kick.

Leeds must have thought they had wrapped it up when Carl Ablett chased a kick from Burrow and touched down but the video referee disallowed it for a knock-on.

Sinfield dropped a goal with 12 minutes left for some breathing space before Melbourne mounted a ferocious charge and it took a desperate tackle by Ablett to force Anthony Quinn into touch before he grounded the ball.