TABLE-TOPPING Leeds certainly dished out some payback for Wolves’ two wins against them earlier this year – and it hurt!

On the back of a poor Challenge Cup semi-final loss to Hull KR, being played off the park by a sizzling Rhinos side was not what The Wire needed at the start of a Super 8s phase in which Tony Smith’s men are playing catch-up on the top four.

Nobody with primrose and blue hearts would have wanted Chris Sandow’s eagerly anticipated debut to have panned out this way either.

Leeds clearly saw Wolves as vulnerable and showed no mercy, Smith admitting it was not only the best he had seen his former team play all year but the first time they had let rip with their exciting offloading style for a full 80 minutes.

It was the manner in which Wolves conceded 25 points in the final 26 minutes that was tough to take, with huge cracks in the defensive line and players falling off tackles.

With a game plan that appeared to be aimed at containment, through Sandow’s game management of kicking early, Wolves had some initial success including Kevin Penny’s opening try from a wonderful Daryl Clark break.

But it always looked like a game of survival against a Leeds attack that was more potent, less predictable and yards faster.

Leeds edged in front and the contentious Danny McGuire try before half time, when it looked like Carl Ablett had knocked on in the build-up, left Wolves with a mountain to climb even after Penny’s early second-half score from Stefan Ratchford’s break off Sandow’s peach of a pass.

Firing on full cylinders, Leeds hardly needed the help of repeat sets from charge-downs but two scores from broken play came that way as the hosts ran riot.

Wolves’ players were given the runaround and they tired badly as a result.

Fatigue was always going to be a factor for comeback men like Rhys Evans, Toby King and George King in a fairly young side that featured seven changes in the starting 13.

With 10 absentees through injury and suspension, losing Anthony England to elbow ligament damage in the first half and Smith admitting selection of players with injuries, perhaps the outcome was inevitable – like it or not.

MATCH FACTS

Leeds Rhinos...49 Warrington Wolves...10

Rhinos: Zak Hardaker; Tom Briscoe, Kallum Watkins, Joel Moon, Ryan Hall; Kevin Sinfield, Danny McGuire; Mitch Garbutt, Paul Aiton, Jamie Peacock, Carl Ablett, Jimmy Keinhorst, Adam Cuthbertson. Subs: Brad Singleton, Brett Delaney, Rob Burrow, Kyle Leuluai.

Wolves: Stefan Ratchford; Joel Monaghan, Rhys Evans, Toby King, Kevin Penny; Chris Sandow, Richie Myler; Anthony England, Daryl Clark, Ashton Sims, Joe Philbin, Ben Currie, Chris Hill. Subs: Roy Asotasi, Brad Dwyer, George King, Sam Wilde.

Scoring: Penny try, 11mins, Sandow goal, 0-6; Watkins try, 13mins, Sinfield goal, 6-6; Briscoe try, 21mins, 10-6; Hardaker try, 33mins, Sinfield goal, 16-6; McGuire try, 37mins, Sinfield goal, 22-6; Sinfield penalty, 39mins, 24-6; Penny try, 46mins, 24-10; Hardaker try, 54mins, Sinfield goal, 30-10; Moon try, 58mins, Sinfield goal, 36-10; Sinfield drop goal, 69mins, 37-10; Burrow try, 73mins, Sinfield goal, 43-10; Ablett try, 75mins, Sinfield goal, 49-10.

Penalties: Rhinos 5 Wolves 1

Referee: James Child

Attendance: 13,118

Top man: Joe Philbin

Chris Sandow made his debut and registered his first points in primrose and blue

Wolves’ heaviest defeat (on points difference) since a 62-18 loss at London Broncos in August 2012

It is also the most points Warrington have conceded since that loss, although they did ship one less against Salford in June 2012, going down 48-24