Wolves thrash Leeds on Chris Sandow's return

Beleaguered Leeds Rhinos endured another night of misery as Warrington Wolves celebrated the return of influential half-back Chris Sandow by trouncing the reigning Super League champions 52-18 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Sandow – Super League's player of the month for February and March – was declared fit to start on Friday after eight weeks out with a hamstring injury and helped his side reclaim top spot in the table following successive defeats.

Warrington led by just six points at the interval, but surged clear thereafter as the Rhinos' defence proved alarmingly easy to breach. Gene Ormsby and Daryl Clark shared four of the Wolves' nine tries, with the former's second score one of two to be set up by Sandow with typically precise kicks.

While Warrington leapfrog Hull FC at the summit, for 24 hours at least, Leeds – who scored first through Jimmy Keinhorst – remain rooted to the foot of the table and without an away win all season.

Brett Ferres did cross twice for the Rhinos, but their second-half display is likely to prompt much concern and Brian McDermott's men also saw Man of Steel Zak Hardaker withdrawn through injury.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats' winning run came to a juddering halt in Friday's other fixture, Chris Chester's side hampered by two yellow cards late in the first half as they went down 38-8 to Salford Red Devils.