First Utility Super League round-up: Injury-hit Leeds Rhinos lose consecutive games, wins for Warrington and Castleford
Widnes Vikings 56-12 Leeds Rhinos
Super League champions Leeds' preparations for next Sunday's World Club Challenge are in disarray after they crashed to a 56-12 defeat at Widnes.
Vikings' Australian winger Corey Thompson scored a hat-trick of tries on his home debut to help rack up Widnes' biggest-ever win over the Rhinos and condemn them to a second successive defeat on the artificial pitch at the Halton Stadium.
Following their opening 12-10 home defeat by Warrington, it is the first time for 16 years that Leeds have lost their first two matches of the season but of more immediate concern is an early-season injury crisis that threatens to cause massive disruption ahead of their clash with North Queensland Cowboys.
Constantly having to re-shuffle, the Rhinos were simply no match for a slick-moving Widnes side who have made it two wins out of two in an impressive start to the season.
It was largely one-way traffic from the moment centre Charly Runciman slipped a delightful pass out of the tackle to get winger Stef Marsh over for the first of the Vikings' 10 tries after only five minutes.
The Leeds defence survived more scares before hooker Lloyd White's pinpoint pass got second-rower Setaimata Sa striding through a gap for his third try in only two appearances for Widnes and, when centre Chris Bridge put Thompson over for a third try, it was 16-0 after just 12 minutes.
Widnes skipper Kevin Brown, who was never far from the action, then combined with replacement hooker Aaron Heremaia to get White over for a fourth try. With Leeds' players being used out of position, the home side took advantage of their visitors' misfortune, with Runciman finishing off a break by full-back Rhys Hanbury to score a fifth try.
Hanbury's fourth goal made it 28-0 but England centre Kallum Watkins, by then playing on the wing, pulled a try back on the stroke of half-time and teenager Jordan Lilley kicked the conversion from the touchline. Widnes ensure it was merely a minor irritation as they struck twice more inside the first 10 minutes of the second half, Brown and Mellor working Thompson in at the corner for his second and Sa putting Mellor over.
Thompson completed his hat-trick on 61 minutes while second-rower Connor Farrell grabbed one on his home debut and Marsh went over for his second, with Hanbury taking his goal tally to eight from 10 attempts. Leeds were a sorry sight but they had the consolation of scoring the final try through acting captain Rob Burrow and Lilley kicked a second conversion.
Warrington Wolves 38-8 Hull KR
Tom Lineham bagged a hat-trick as Warrington followed up their opening-day win at Leeds with a six-try 38-8 success over Hull KR.
The close-season wing capture went over three times in the second half after his side led 12-0 at half-time.
Kurt Gidley, man of the match at Headingley, was again in outstanding form on his first home appearance.
He created the opening tries for Ben Currie and Joe Westerman before being sin binned just before the break.
The Aussie stand-off also slotted over seven goals from seven attempts with the Wolves other try a solo special from Daryl Clark.
Depleted Rovers kept plugging away and deserved their tries through Ian Thornley and Kieran Dixon but never looked like winning.
Castleford Tigers 40-6 Wakefield Wildcats
Castleford produced a dominant seven-try performance to hammer neighbours Wakefield 40-6.
Stuart Howarth opened the scoring for Wakefield but the Tigers went into the break with a commanding lead after converted tries from Denny Solomona, Ben Roberts and Luke Dorn.
The next score was crucial and there was no way back for the Wildcats after Oliver Holmes crossed, with the back-rower adding a second following a try from Adam Milner and another for Solomona.
Wakefield managed to keep the Tigers scoreless in the final 15 minutes but they were left to reflect on back-to-back defeats.