Leeds were beaten to the punch by Wakefield, with Brad Arthur airing his disappointment, and a fresh injury scare, post match.
23:24, 13 Mar 2026Updated 23:25, 13 Mar 2026
Leeds’ Maika Sivo takes the loose ball to score his second try against Wakefield.(Image: SW PIX)
Brad Arthur has blasted the lack of intensity and casual attitude of his Leeds Rhinos side at Wakefield Trinity on Friday night, stating that his side made some ‘poor choices’ throughout the Challenge Cup tie.
The Rhinos were defeated 24-14 by their West Yorkshire rivals – their sixth successive defeat to top-flight opposition in the knockout competition – with Arthur’s side beaten to the punch by Trinity, who regrouped following a 23-minute floodlight failure disruption in the first half to record a famous win.
And Arthur, speaking post-match, aired his disappointment at not only the defeat but also the manner of it, with his Leeds side, in his view, lacklustre and failing to match the standards of previous games this season – not that the recent trip to Las Vegas can be used as any excuse.
“I’m very disappointed,” Arthur said. “It’s not who or what we said we wanted to be. I felt like we made some poor choices tonight around intensity.
“We don’t want to be looking for reasons or excuses about Vegas and travel and all that; it is what it is, and I think we were just beaten out of the blocks from the very start of the game.
“I don’t know how we found our way into the lead and then we were just too casual thirty seconds before half-time. We allowed a soft try but I think that just shows that we didn’t have the intent or the urgency that the game deserved.
“We couldn’t do a great deal this week, but I was hoping that we’d come and we’d have a bit more fight about us, but we just didn’t have it.”
Leeds regrouped after Wakefield’s opening try to take a 14-6 lead deep into the first half after a brace from Maika Sivo and try from skipper Ash Handley.
However, Wakefield’s try on the stroke of half-time, just as it did against Hull FC last week, put life back into them, and they then rode the crest of a wave in the second half.
On the floodlight stoppage, Arthur, who is already gearing up for a response at Hull next week, said: “One team it didn’t affect. We can sit here and try to find an excuse if we want, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how we’re feeling or what’s happened prior; we made the choice to not put enough into it tonight.
“We know that wasn’t what this team is about and has shown – that’s a poor reflection of us. There’s only one way that we can lift and it’s with our response next week. We’ve got to get in, be honest, and have a look at it.
“We can’t dwell on it for too long and it’s going to hurt, but again, we’re out of the competition, and we need to use that hurt as drive and get it right next week.
“It wasn’t good enough and we’re disappointed. But the positive is we’ve got next week to see what response we can come up with.”
Arthur also confirmed that young half-back George Brown left the game with a knee injury late on, with the teenager replaced by Chris Hankinson.
“They’re checking his knee,” Arthur confirmed. “It’s the ligament on the outside. I think it’s pretty stable, but we need to have a scan on that to make sure.”