Bradford 26 Leeds 40: Webb spins magic as Leeds ram home their superiority

This year there was no controversy about it. Leeds, owing nothing to luck or refereeing decisions, simply had too many tricks for Bradford in a second-half onslaught that put the Magic into the Millennium Stadium.

Four tries in 15 minutes, with Brent Webb showing just why Leeds are so reluctant to let him go away and play for the Kiwis next weekend, changed the whole complexion of the game. If last year's Cardiff victory was a hollow one, this was a resounding demonstration of why the Rhinos are now seven points clear at the top of Super League.

Few games have the weight of recent history hanging about them like this one and Bradford's bid to right the wrongs of last year was launched when, after a lost ball and a penalty took them upfield, David Solomona's long pass let Semi Tadulala in at the corner after six minutes.

Leeds' response, after a long spell of mounting pressure, was a try from their latest young prospect, Kallum Watkins, set up by some quality ball skills from Kevin Sinfield and Kylie Leuluai.

Paul Deacon's offside penalty wiped out Sinfield's conversion, although it was the Bulls who had needed to do the bulk of the tackling, with Scott Donald coming closest for Leeds when he was held up over the line.

It was a tight and tense affair with only another penalty from Deacon separating the sides until the last second of the first half when Danny McGuire was penalised for stealing the ball from Tame Tupou. Deacon was again on the mark from almost halfway.

Leeds' French debutant, Eric Anselme, had a magical moment a minute after the restart, completing a devastating long-range move initiated by Webb and Watkins. Another long-distance effort, set up by another novice, Simon Worrall, for Keith Senior moved the Rhinos further ahead.

Webb's visionary pass to Donald continued the blitz of tries. The New Zealand full-back did the same again two minutes later, this time taking a return pass from Donald for a try of his own.

Tadulala got a second for Bradford, this time from Solomona's clever kick, and then Shontayne Hape bounced over the line for a try that was scrutinised at length by the video referee. But Solomona's pass stuck on Ryan Hall's fingertips and Leeds were as good as home even before Leuluai wrestled his way over and Sam Burgess got a last- minute consolation for the Bulls.

A hat-trick of tries from the winger Scott Grix helped Wakefield to show how difficult they are to defend against as they thrashed Castleford 54-16 in the second match of the day. With Danny Brough and Sam Obst controlling play and Richard Moore leading a rampaging pack, Grix capitalised on the opportunities that came his way.

The bottom club started badly and got worse. Adam Watene opened the scoring on his return from compassionate leave following the death of his father.

Wakefield were playing at a completely different tempo from their neighbours. One of Castleford's young hopes, the wing Richard Owen, did remarkably well to squeeze in at the corner to open his side's account, but prospects of a second stirring comeback of the day receded when Grix scored his second try early in the second half.

A startling second-half fightback quite possibly rescued Warrington's coach, Paul Cullen, from the sack as his side beat Huddersfield 36-34. The Wolves trailed 22-6 at half-time but, inspired by stand-off Lee Briers, scored four tries in 10 minutes to salvage their season.

Bradford: Halley, Evans, Sykes, Happe, Tadulala, Harris, Deacon, Lynch, Newton, S Burgess, Solomona, Langley, Morrison. Substitutes: Nero, Finnigan, Godwin, Tupou.

Leeds: Webb, Hall, Watkins, Senior, Donald, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Diskin, Scruton, Ablett, Peacock, Sinfield Substitutes: Tansey, L Burgess, Worrall, Enselme.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).