Sivo hat-trick ends Warrington's 100% record

Betfred Super League

Leeds (8) 26

Tries: Sivo 3, Bird, Croft Goals: Connor 3

Warrington (12) 22

Tries: Josh Thewlis, J. Smith 2, King Goals: Irwin 3

Maika Sivo scored his third hat-trick in five games as Leeds Rhinos beat Warrington Wolves to end Super League's last remaining 100% record.

The competition's top try-scorer showed his finishing ability after the Wolves had worked their way into a 12-0 lead in the opening phase of the game with tries from Josh Thewlis and Josh Smith.

Sivo's three strikes had the home side ahead as they bounced back from the defeat at Hull FC last week.

After Toby King had edged Sam Burgess' team back into the lead, Jack Bird's try on his full debut, another from Brodie Croft and a Jake Connor penalty meant that Josh Smith's second of the evening did not matter.

The win means the Rhinos are tucked into third place, just behind second-placed Warrington.

Leeds have struggled to recapture the high of thrashing world champions Hull Kingston Rovers in Las Vegas, losing to Wakefield Trinity in the Challenge Cup and then being lambasted by coach Brad Arthur after the capitulation at the MKM Stadium.

The so-called Vegas hangover seemed to be still having full effect as 18-year-old Warrington prodigy Ewan Irwin kicked a penalty, Josh Thewlis raced clear for the opening try and then Irwin's superb 40-20 kick set an attacking platform from which Josh Smith scored.

The Rhinos kicked into gear as Connor, whose place-kicking was off all day, started to work the magic with Croft, and they worked the ball left for the powerful Sivo.

The wing barged over for his first, and after James Harrison had been denied what looked like another Wolves try by a video replay, Sivo struck again to cut the gap to four points at the break.

Sivo completed his treble, and made it 12 Super League tries for the season shortly into the second half but Warrington showed their mettle as George Williams' sharp offload set up King for a try that put them back in front.

Croft started to pull all the strings after that, crafting a gap for James McDonnell to set up Bird's try and then dashing through a gap himself to score under the posts after Ash Handley's superb break.

Connor kicked a penalty to give the home side breathing space after a high tackle on Keenan Palasia, and meant Josh Smith's brilliant finish in the corner proved an academic score.

Leeds centre Jack Bird told BBC Radio Leeds:

"Maika's a big man, a try-scoring freak. He's scored 12 tries in five games - that's more than I have in a whole year. He knows how to find the line.

"I'm glad he's on our team. I used to come up against him in the NRL. I know how hard he is to tackle. He tried fighting me once!

"We needed a change of attitude in training this week, and that was a tough, gritty win for us. If we can keep doing that each week, we will turn a lot of teams away."

Warrington head coach Sam Burgess said:

"It's a tough loss. They were very hard conditions to manage for both sides. They're very dangerous, and we paid for our lack of managing that in the second half, but I'm really proud of our effort to keep challenging.

"Today wasn't the result we wanted, but it's OK; as a group we'll definitely learn, and we'll keep learning throughout the whole season."

Leeds: Miller; Sivo, Bird, Handley, Hall; Croft, Connor; Holroyd, Levi, Palasia, Watkins, McDonnell, Smith.

Interchanges: O'Connor, Jenkins, Oledzki, Hankinson.

Warrington: Josh Thewlis; Ashton, King, Hopoate, J. Smith; Williams, Irwin; Yates, Walker, Byrne, Tanginoa, Stone, Currie.

Interchanges: Harrison, Crowther, Philbin, Webster.

Referee: Jack Smith