Poor Leeds stunned by impressive Hull FC

Lowly Hull FC stunned second-placed Leeds Rhinos to end a dire Super League season in style.

The result, coupled with Wigan Warriors' thumping 50-12 win over Catalans Dragons, saw Matt Peet's men claim the League Leaders' Shield.

Hull FC have endured an incredibly difficult 2026 but took a deserved lead through Logan Moy's score before Chris Hankinson's try made it 6-6 at the break.

Lloyd Kemp put the Black and Whites back in front after Leeds failed with a short drop-out and, after the home side blew chances to level the scores with handling errors, Lennon Clark went over.

Kallum Watkins set up a big finish with a try with three minutes to go but the hard-working visitors held out for a shock win.

Brad Arthur's Leeds side were badly disjointed in attack throughout against a team who had won seven of 26 games going into Friday's meeting and have now lost four of their past nine games.

They will have two weeks to stew on this result before hosting their play-off semi-final on Friday, 25 September.

Head coach John Cartwright left in acrimonious circumstances in March after being told his contract would not be extended beyond this season, with the club appointing former England coach Steve McNamara to take over for 2027.

Andy Last was placed in interim charge but the season crumbled to the extent that, amid a 12-match losing run, the owners issued a statement in July to apologise to the club's fans.

However, this win over an admittedly out-of-sorts Leeds will give players, fans and incoming coach McNamara hope for the future.

Their three tries came from young home grown players in Kemp, 19 and Moy and Clark, both 21, and they showed a grit in defence that had been lacking for all too much of this season.

Victory also saw retiring club legend Tom Briscoe go out in style in what was his 400th and final Super League appearance.

Leeds welcomed back the league's leading try-scorer Maika Sivo after two months out with a broken arm but he, like his team-mates, was way below his best.

The Rhinos went unbeaten at Headingley until August but have now lost their past three games in front of their own fans.