Leeds Rhinos make Super League history with landmark captain’s challenge moment

Leeds Rhinos have made Super League history by becoming the first club to successfully challenge a referee’s decision – at the 12th time of asking in the new season.

Super League clubs have struggled to adapt to the new captain’s challenge ruling, with eight failing to be overturned in the first round of the new season. Four clubs didn’t use the challenge available to them.

That run was extended to 11 by Saturday afternoon, with two more in the second round before Salford Red Devils failed to have a decision overturned by referee Liam Moore.

But Leeds ended that run later in the same game, with Ash Handley the first captain to successfully identify a refereeing error to bring ironic cheers from all those in attendance at the Salford Community Stadium.

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Handley was the party initially deemed to have knocked on when carrying the ball out of back-field.

Get our your calendar and mark it in red! The first successful Captain’s Challenge, penalty against Salford for the ball steal, great work Ash Handley
Salford Red Devils 6 – 16 Rhinos 47′

— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) February 22, 2025

But he instantly called for the challenge having been certain there was interference from a Salford defender. And that proved to be the case when replays proved Jayden Nikorima had indeed contributed to the ball coming loose.

The challenge system has been considered a major improvement to Super League, but up until that moment, the club captains had failed to get to grips with the concept.

But that has now hopefully changed for the better after Handley wrote his name into the history books by becoming the first Super League captain to correctly challenge a call.

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