Leeds

A TRAGIC three-year-old girl has been pictured after her mum was charged with murder.

Hope McGrath was discovered by police at home in Leeds, West Yorkshire, following a concern for welfare report.

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Tragically the youngster could not be saved and was declared dead at the scene on July 30.

Her mum Pippa McGrath today appeared at Leeds Crown Court charged with murder.

The 47-year-old spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address during the hearing.

Recorder of Leeds Guy Kearl KC said:”A post mortem on Hope has not taken place. It is to take place tomorrow.

“The heart of the issue will be a toxicology report.”

The court heard psychiatric reports would be prepared to establish McGrath’s fitness to plead.

A provisional trial date was set for February 24, with a further hearing set to take place on September 3.

McGrath is accused of murdering her daughter between July 26 and July 30.

McGrath, was understood to have moved with Hope to Austhorpe Close, in Leeds, just weeks before the tragedy.

Neighbours suggested that the youngster had suffered with a disability and required the use of a wheelchair, but was often heard playing in her back garden.

McGrath was taken to hospital before later being remanded into custody on suspicion of murder.

West Yorkshire Police previously said it was treating Hope’s death as an “isolated incident”.

Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “We are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hope’s death.  

“A photograph of the three-year-old has been released by her family. I would ask that people respect their privacy at this extremely difficult time.”  

Leeds United have signed Germany midfielder Anton Stach from Hoffenheim in a deal worth £17m.

The 26-year-old, who has two international caps, has joined on a four-year contract.

Stach becomes the sixth summer signing for Leeds, who were promoted to the Premier League after winning the Championship last season.

He follows Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Lukas Nmecha and Sean Longstaff in joining manager Daniel Farke’s squad for the 2025-26 campaign.

“I am excited to join such a good team, such a good Premier League team, and I am looking forward to the next season,” said Stach, who is 6ft 4in.

“My style of play, I would say I am an aggressive player. I am good in duels. I am good at anticipating passes from the opponents and it would be good for the Premier League. Now we will see, I will try my best.”

Leeds: Miller, Hall, Newman, Handley, Edgell, Croft, Connor, Jenkins, O’Connor, Palasia, Bentley, McDonnell, Watkins.

Interchanges: Ackers, Lisone, Smith, Cassell.

Salford: Murphy, Ryan, D. Russell, Hankinson, Connell, Brierley, O. Russell, Ormondroyd, Mellor, C. Hill, Foster, Whitehead, Shorrocks.

Interchanges: Morgan, Wilson, Glover, Chan.

Referee: Liam Rush.

Cara, who runs The Magic Geekdom channel, said she was “blown away” after her first ever visit to Leeds and she believes the Yorkshire city is extremely overlooked by outsiders

An American YouTuber has been left utterly enchanted by one UK city and labelled it a “hidden gem” after visiting for the first time. Cara, the face behind The Magic Geekdom channel, couldn’t contain her excitement when she arrived in Leeds.

She explained: “This was my very first time in Leeds and it completely blew me away! I didn’t know much about the city going in, but after a full day exploring its stunning arcades, fascinating museums, delicious food spots, and lively streets, I can honestly say Leeds is one of the most overlooked cities I’ve visited so far in the UK.

“From beautiful architecture to incredible markets and independent shops, this city has so much to offer.”

In her video, Cara expressed surprise at the aesthetic appeal of Leeds, telling viewers: “I don’t know why, I wasn’t expecting this much gorgeousness in the buildings around here but there is a lot of pretty things to look at here.”

Highlighting Leeds City Museum as a prime example of the city’s allure, she mentioned that before visiting, she sought recommendations, with the Royal Armouries Museum topping the list.

After exploring the free-to-enter museum, Cara concluded with admiration: “What a great museum, something that I was not expecting to love but then ended up being very fascinated by many different aspects of the museum.”

Instead of solely delving into arms and military history, she spiced up her day with a jaunt on a boat and savoured a pint at Whitelock’s Ale House in Leeds, the city’s oldest pub.

Eager to soak up local Yorkshire flavour, she opted for a crisp pint of Kirkstall Pale Ale. Her adventure continued through the city’s arcades, where she eagerly anticipated Queen’s Arcade but found it her “least favourite” due to its less impressive appearance compared to Thornton’s Arcade.

She found County Arcade to be “much more opulent” than the rest, describing it as “beautiful and very posh” yet her preference leaned towards the more understated.

During her exploration, she offered a unique take: “Here is an observation I’ve made here that I’ve never made anywhere else.

“I think in most places, buskers have mapped out times or areas and I think here in Leeds it is just a free for all because there are people everywhere doing all kinds of things with microphones and it is kind of hard to hear any of them at any given time.

“But I think that adds to the experience a little bit.”

The video, available for viewing here, prompted one viewer to comment: “As a Manchester lad that has lived in Leeds for 14 years I can say it is different, it has it’s own vibe. It’s full of amazing people. And a place I am proud to call home.”

Replying, Cara said: “It definitely has a vibe.”

Another person said: “Lived in Leeds all my life. You’ve shown off the city beautifully.”

A third added: “My son went to Leeds uni for three years, i love this city and he loves it so much he’s moving back to Leeds this September to work. There is so much there plus its close enough to the Yorkshire dales and Cumbria which is even better!”

St Helens took full advantage of a sloppy Leeds Rhinos performance to claim a deserved Super League victory.

Kyle Feldt kicked two penalty goals for the home side in the opening 25 minutes before Deon Cross extended Saints’ advantage by darting over for the game’s first try on the stroke of half-time.

Leeds improved after the break and brought themselves back into the contest when Riley Lumb went over in the corner for his 10th try of the season.

However, a string of handling errors in stifling heat limited the Rhinos’ momentum, and tries from Owen Dagnall and Tristan Sailor guaranteed the points for an injury-hit Saints side.

Leeds stay third in the table on 20 points after their first defeat in six, while St Helens are fifth, two points behind.

Rhinos won 17-4 when the sides met last month, but they were below par from the off in Lancashire.

Feldt’s two penalty goals came after Harry Newman committed a high tackle and James Bentley strayed offside, and those infringements were reflective of an error-strewn first period from Brad Arthur’s side.

Leeds’ one real opportunity in the first half came via a Ryan Hall interception, but the veteran winger was halted by a superb tackle by player-of-the-match Harry Robertson.

And when Leeds coughed up possession in their own 20 not long after, Sailor released Cross, whose clever show-and-go deceived Hall and provided a clear path to the line.

Half-time offered much-needed respite for Rhinos, who came out with more intensity at the start of the second half.

They came back into the contest after a magnificent Lachie Miller break – the Australian full-back evading several tackles before moving the ball out wide, where Lumb dotted down.

Jarrod O’Connor went close for Leeds with a darting effort, and as the game opened up, the momentum swung back and forth before St Helens delivered a telling blow.

Off the back of a scrum, deft hands from Jonny Lomax and Sailor put Dagnall into space. He stepped off his left foot to score his second try in two starts and Feldt converted to make it a 10-point lead.

Leeds – who completed just 69% of their sets and made 16 errors – never truly looked like bridging that gap.

Sailor made sure for Saints when he burst through a gap in the final stages to make it 18-4.

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‘At risk of avoidable harm’

MARTIN MCQUADE / BBC

AN urgent manhunt has been launched after a lag escaped from prison.

Liam Slater is reported to have absconded from HMP Hatfield in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on Sunday – with police warning members of the public not to approach him.

The 33-year-old was last seen boarding a train to Leeds at Stainforth Station at 8.46pm.

Cops say he has links to Wetherby and Seacroft in Leeds.

They want to hear from anyone who has seen or spoken to Slater recently.

A South Yorkshire Police statement added: “If you see Slater, please do not approach him but instead call 999.

“If you have any other information about where he might be, you can contact us online or by calling 101.

“Please quote incident number 818 of 18 May 2025 when you get in touch.”

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MEL B is spotted along with two of her Spice Girl bandmates at her 50th birthday bash.

Emma Bunton and Mel C were among the guests in leopard-print outfits, in homage to Scary Spice Mel’s best-known stage get-ups.

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But Geri Horner and Victoria Beckham were not at the Leeds party on Saturday.

Insiders said Posh was away for work and Geri declined the invitation to the event.

We told last week how the Girls’ ex-manager is in talks for them to reunite as avatars, following in the steps of Abba.

An insider spilled: “Mel’s throwing a huge party in Leeds for her 50th. It’s also her fiance’s birthday today so it’s a joint celebration and will be a real family affair.

“But Geri and Posh can’t make it. Posh had a work commitment she couldn’t get out of. 

“It’s a bit awkward given the reunion excitement.”

The Sun has contacted their reps for comment.

The snub comes just days after we revealed plans for the group to reunite as Avatars, following in the footsteps of pop legends Abba.

It would see holograms of Geri, Mels B and C, Emma Bunton and Victoria playing their biggest hits.

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A “CRUEL” Royal Mail postie has been caught on camera KICKING a customer’s “attention-loving” puppy in the face.

Nikki Walker, 49, was working from home last month when cockapoo Bella heard the garden gate open and jumped out of a ground floor window.

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Moments later Nicki heard the one-year-old pup yelp in pain and rushed to the front door to question a Royal Mail postman who had just delivered some letters.

She says the rude worker denied kicking Bella and told her to “do what the f**k she wants” when she threatened to check her doorcam footage.

Nikki was appalled to discover footage on the doorcam of the Royal Mail postie booting her pooch in the face.

The shocking video shows Bella run over to the postman who turns around and kicks the rescue dog in the face with his right boot.

Squealing, Bella is launched backwards in mid-air and runs off a couple of seconds before Nikki appears at the front door.

Nikki claims the postie told her he simply “put my leg up to stop Bella from jumping” but she believes he was lying.

The mum-of-four says she was “absolutely fuming” while reviewing the footage and has complained to Royal Mail.

She says they offered her £100 and a home visit from a staff member to apologise, but she rejected the latter as she wanted all correspondence in writing.

Nikki claims Royal Mail have since threatened to suspend deliveries to her address unless she ensures the dog is kept away from staff.

She describes Bella as a “faithful, cuddle-loving” puppy who has never bitten anyone and posted the video to Facebook where users branded the postie a “scumbag” and called for him to be sacked.

Royal Mail claim two other posties have reported Bella growling at them and insisted their “first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety” of staff.

The postman has now been removed from the round and won’t be delivering to the address on Nikki’s request.

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Nikki, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, said: “When I heard yelping I quickly ran outside the front door.

“When I asked what she’s yelping at he said he didn’t know. I asked if he’d kicked the dog and he said ‘no, I put my leg up to stop her from jumping’.

“That won’t be the case because he put his leg back and kicked. I knew he was lying to me.

“I told him I’d check the camera then he said ‘do what the f**k you want.

“Bella ran into the house, curled and cowered on the sofa and that’s not like her. I knew something had happened.

“I sat next to her to watch the video and when I did I was absolutely fuming.

“She was wagging her tail. She wasn’t aggressive or barking.

“She’s a faithful puppy. She loves cuddles, attention and she’d sit on your knee for hours.

“If he’d have done that to my last dog he’d have killed her.

“My daughter watched the video and she was absolutely mortified.”

Nikki says it will cost her around £80 to build new fencing so Royal Mail will agree to deliver to her address.

She feels the delivery giants are treating her puppy like a “dangerous” dog despite her claiming she’s never bitten anyone.

Nikki said: “They sent this via a letter, which is quite ironic. You couldn’t make it up.

“We’ve had to go out, buy some wood and build and new fence and gate so she can be secured in the back garden

“It’s as if my dog is dangerous. It’s really annoyed me. She’s not a rottweiler or a big alsatian and she’s never bit anybody.”

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Nikki’s Facebook post has more than 200 comments, shares and reactions.

The post said: “This is absolutely disgusting behaviour kicking my one-year-old puppy in the face. She’s wagging her tail.

“The yelps coming out of her are distressing so be mindful if watching, please.”

One commented: “Disgusting behaviour. Report him and push for an outcome.”

A second said: “I hope he gets sacked, he wouldn’t be kicking a rottweiler.”

A third agreed and said: “Sack the scumbag.”

However one said: “Should keep your dog under control at all times.”

Nikki hit back: “She was in her own garden not running wild in the streets. it’s the postman who was out of control.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident involving one of our postmen and a dog in Leeds.

“Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people who provide a valuable service to our customers.

The vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and keep their pets under control, However, last year, there were over 2,200 dog attacks on postmen and women in the UK – some resulting in life-changing injuries.

“We continue to appeal to dog owners to secure their pets when the postie arrives to help reduce the number of attacks, particularly at the door and in the garden.”

BBC rugby league reporter Matt Newsum:

Hot on the heels of the success of Wigan and Warrington’s venture into Sin City in 2025, Hull KR and Leeds are the latest Super League entrants to make the trip over the Atlantic for the now annual Las Vegas event in tandem with the Australian NRL.

This time, RL Commercial have been more heavily involved in the process, after Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski and then Warrington counterpart Karl Fitzpatrick set the ball rolling for this year’s event off their own backs.

Both Hull KR and Leeds, and perhaps importantly from selling the game, brands, have a strong presence. They have shown themselves to be successful off the field of late as well as on it, and should provide the type of match-up which will show Super League in its best light.

Rovers could pitch up in Las Vegas as champions and Challenge Cup winners, and this would be another memorable experience for a fanbase that has shown itself to be loyal and high in turnout at major events in recent seasons – one of the key reasons for their inclusion.

Leeds still carry a cachet to an Australian audience from their legacy of success, their links with high-profile Australians over the years, and the fanbase again, and while some of the success from the years of annual Grand Final appearances has tailed off, there is a sense the club is now heading in the right direction.

Both clubs will take some financial hit on the trip, as did their predecessors, particularly in giving up a home game for one but the hope is there are ways of making the trip pay both tangibly and metaphorically.

The aim one day is that all clubs in the Super League will get a chance to show their wares, but right now, these two clubs need to be shrewd and provide a meaningful showpiece, and there will be confidence that neither will wilt in the glare of the Nevada sun.

Leeds: Stead; Bryer, Greening, Boyd, Whitbread; Howard, Walker; Sykes, Bennett, Northrop, Lacey, Murray, Dainton.

Interchanges: Bruce, Donnelly, Glynn, Short.

Wigan: Banks; Davies, Wilson, Jones, Derbyshire; Foubister, Rowe; Coleman, Wilton, Speakman, Hunter, Power, Williams.

Interchanges: Marsh, Thompson, Casey, Veivers.

Referee: Tara Jones

Luke Humphries ended his 10-week wait for a Premier League nightly victory with a tense 6-5 win over Luke Littler in Leeds.

The 30-year-old, who had not won a final since beating Littler on Night 4 in Exeter, came from 2-0 down to beat ‘The Nuke’ in a thriller.

World number one Humphries averaged 100.96, with 18-year-old Littler at 99.89.

Wearing a Leeds United-inspired yellow and blue shirt at the First Direct Arena – days after his footballing heroes won the Championship title to mark their Premier League return in style – ‘Cool Hand Luke’ made a sluggish start as Littler took charge.

But Humphries, who was defending his Leeds crown from 12 months ago, then won three straight legs and edged 5-3 ahead.

As both mixed errors with brilliance in their performances, Littler hit back to take the match to a final-leg decider.

Both men missed bull finishes for 100-plus checkouts, but Humphries kept calm to hit double 10 and seal the much-needed success.

“When you know you’re playing against Luke Littler you know you’re not going to get away with mid-game performances, you need to be at your best to beat him,” he told Sky Sports.

“We weren’t at our best but it was a decent final and I do seem to raise my performance against him.

“It is extra special to win in Leeds, I feel at home here. I know it isn’t my hometown but it does feel extra special. I won here last year and it gave me extra confidence for the finals night and hopefully it does again – and I can get that elusive Premier League crown that I’ve always dreamed of.”

Humphries had earlier overcome bottom-of-the-table Stephen Bunting 6-4 in the semi-finals to set up a fourth Premier League final of the season against Littler.

A 6-4 win in the last eight over Michael van Gerwen also confirmed his place at finals night on May 29 at the 02 Arena, while Bunting’s defeat ruled him out of the finals reckoning.

Littler showed his quality in a convincing 6-3 semi-final victory over Gerwyn Price, where the defending Premier League champion came back from 2-0 down to dominate.

Price’s 6-5 quarter-final victory over Rob Cross had booked his place in the final four.

THE limbs in the Leeds United end when Manor Solomon struck late to seal the title were some of the best the EFL has produced.

But you can bet there were celebrations just as big from one genius punter after the 91^st minute strike landed the final leg of their 398/1 season prediction!

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For much of the second half of the season, Leeds were locked in a ‘two from three’ battle with Burnley and Sheffield United for promotion back to the big time.

With that wrapped up with a couple of games to go, they were in pole position to win the league.

That was until relegation-threatened Plymouth took the lead on the final day through a Sam Byram own goal on 18 minutes.

With Burnley scoring on 13 minutes, the in-play table had Scott Parker’s Clarets winning the title.

Willy Gnonto grabbed one back for Leeds eight minutes after the break before the wild scenes that followed, when Manor Solomon struck in the first minute of added on time to wrap up champions status for Daniel Farke and co.

They were an 11/4 chance to win the second tier and that made up one-quarter of an outstanding season bet for one William Hill punter.

Before the drama of the final day, they had been celebrating Birmingham’s canter to the League One crown, at a short price of 13/8.

The big spending Blues smashed all kinds of records in the third tier this season and ended the campaign with a stunning, record-breaking 111 points.

Doncaster went into the final day in League Two with a one-point lead over Port Vale at the top, and all the momentum after an incredible run in the closing weeks.

Grant McCann’s side finished like a train with Vale, Bradford and, in particular, Walsall all stumbling in the final few weeks, with Rovers obliging with a final day win and making it 3/3 for this punter at a very nice 8/1.

Another two-horse race to finish in the National League in the end, with York City winning seven of their last eight games to pile the pressure on Barnet, who looked the league winners from some way out.

Barnet stuttered at the start of April when claiming two points from a possible nine, only to string three wins together to finish the campaign.

That saw them crowned National League champions by six points and were 7/2 to do so back before a ball was kicked.

All four would land at a magnificent 398/1 price and the punter’s £30 stake saw them return £11,960.

Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “Having already correctly predicted this season’s League One, League Two and the National League champions, one of our punters must have been watching through their fingers as the final minutes ticked away with Leeds needing a goal to be crowned Championship winners and their four-fold bet moments away from hitting the bin.

“What a feeling it must have been when that 91^st minute goal went in and with it the realisation that they had just turned £30 into a cool £11,960 after brilliantly predicting four league winners this season.”

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – GambleAware.org

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

AN ICONIC pub in Britain’s “poshest town” has finally re-opened after locals slammed its sky high prices.

The historic Windmill Inn of Linton re-opened its doors vowing to offer punters good value drinks with pints costing as little as £4.80.

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The watering hole, which dates back to 1564, suddenly closed it doors in late January when the previous landlady left.

Some locals blasted the high prices for snubbing the hostelry which is in an area renowned for having many wealthy residents and with house prices in one street averaging £1.7million.

Former celebrity residents include ex soccer star Rio Ferdinand and Del Boy actor David Jason.

Now new leaseholders Sharon, 58, and Simon Colgan, 59, have reopened its doors and the residents are “over the moon”.

Sharon said: “Just because you are in a posh area doesn’t mean you should have to pay the expensive marked up prices.

“For those who want to pay extra they can – but it isn’t necessary if they don’t want to.

“We want to return the pub to it’s former days being somewhere the local residents can enjoy and call their own.”

She added that locals had been “so supportive” and that she was “thrilled to be able to give something back to them”.

The shock closure of the beloved pub came on January 24 after it hit financial difficulty.

But three months on, veteran pub landlords Sharon, 58, and Simon Colgan, 59, have signed an agreement to take on the joint.

They were approached by its owners Bars and Stars – who are owned by Heineken – to see if they would like to take on the historic venue.

The duo who run 12 pubs in partnership all across the UK agreed, singing the documents on April 22.

Since then they have pumped £80,000 into refurbishments which include new carpets, a full re-paint, French polished tables and chairs, and updated outdoor benches.

The duo have also invested in new glass washers and a coffee machine.

They have even hired a new head chef and upgraded parts of the kitchen – purchasing new equipment like a cooker, new utensils, and microwaves.

Sharon said the boozer is “worth every penny”.

She said: “The pubs we are used to are what you would call old man pubs with proper ale and proper pub grub to fill customers’ belly.

“This is a new adventure for us – a little above our pay grade – but we are very excited to see where it takes us.”

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The Windmill Inn sits in Linton which is Yorkshire‘s most exclusive village.

One of it Streets – Linton Lane – was found to have an average house price an eye-watering £1,791,000.

It was also rumoured that James Bond star Daniel Craig lived in the area.

Sharon appointed Michelle Landers, 49, and Rob Lamb, 55, as landlords to run its day to day business.

The couple have worked with Sharan and Simon before running one of their earliest projects, The World’s End in Knaresborough, North Yorks, five years ago.

Michelle said: “The community feel of this pub is second to none.”

“Whilst we have been cleaning and preparing for it’s reopening residents have been popping by telling us how thankful they are it is returning.

“We are really pleased with how it has come out so far – we are chuffed about the whole project.”

Sharon and Simon will pay £4,250 a month – £51,000 a year – to keep the doors open.

She said: “It’s not cheap but we know it will be worth it.

“We weren’t planning on taking on another location, but it is such a historic place in such a stunning location, we found it hard to say no.”

The duo are keen on keeping prices low but offering upgrades for those who are willing to pay.

Pints will cost range from £4.80 to £5 with the average meal setting customers back around £18.

The pub also sells sharing platters including steak and shrimp priced at £65.

The most expensive spirit is a single malt whisky which cost £7 for a single.

Sharon says the couple will pump all profits back into the pub to keep it going for a “couple hundred more years”.

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Leeds leapfrog their opponents with a third win in four games, a run only spoiled by their defeat by leaders Hull KR last week.

They got that loss out of their system in the opening phase as Gannon’s smart kick popped up nicely for Lumb to pounce and score after Gannon and Ash Handley had opened up the defence.

Ten minutes later more enterprising attacking play from the Rhinos saw Harry Newman send Alfie Edgell racing down the right, and he passed the ball inside to send Miller over and establish a 10-point lead at half time.

Lumb pulled off a try-saving tackle on Jon Bennison but Saints rarely troubled the Leeds line in the first half.

Wellens sent on experienced pair Daryl Clark and Jonny Lomax, the latter controversially dropped a fortnight ago, and for a short while they started to piece their game together and shortly into the second half they cracked the Leeds defence as Whitley went over.

That sparked an attacking spell for Saints, with Leeds errors inviting pressure and Saints squandering it with scrappy disorganised rugby.

Tristan Sailor’s interception and sprint downfield set Saints up perfectly but an incorrect play-the-ball cost them possession in a threatening position, a moment that summed up their game.

Murphy’s sin-binning took the wind out of their sails and came as he leaped high to gather a kick and caught Edgell in the face with his knee, as the Leeds man kept his feet firmly planted on the ground.

Murphy was disconsolate and Wellens infuriated, and Leeds took advantage by going up the other end, with Sinfield coolly drop-kicking the ball between the posts.

Saints’ misery was compounded as what seemed to be a debut try for Deon Cross was ruled out for a knock-on in the build-up before Gannon capped a fine display by powering over for a try that made sure of the points.