Super League champions Leeds muscled their way to an unspectacular victory to maintain Britain's domination of the Carnegie World Club Challenge.

The Rhinos ground out a tense win in a match of largely uncompromising defence in front of a bumper crowd of 33,204 at Elland Road to become the seventh Super League winners in the last nine clashes of the champions.

With both sides scoring a first-half try on a squally night, the difference was provided by Leeds captain and man of the match Kevin Sinfield with three goals and a drop goal but it was very much a team effort.

The triumph also maintained Brian McClennan's 100% record as Leeds coach on what must surely be his favourite ground, the venue for New Zealand's 24-0 Tri-Nations win over Australia in 2005.

The Rhinos played most of the game without the influential Danny McGuire, who suffered a serious-looking shoulder injury, and also lost centre Clinton Toopi with a dislocated shoulder, but it was a night made for mud-wrestlers rather than fleet-footed athletes.

It was all in sharp contrast to Leeds' free-flowing 39-32 win over Canterbury Bulldogs on a fast Elland Road surface three years earlier.

Melbourne had given themselves every chance of halting Britain's impressive run in this event by arriving 10 days in advance, earlier than any of their predecessors, and they were able to field 11 members of their Grand Final-winning team.

The Australians defended heroically but lacked sharpness on attack to seriously trouble a superbly-organised home defence.

Leeds demonstrated their resolve in the early stages by bringing down the dangerous Israel Folau and veteran Matt Geyer inches short of the tryline.

They went in front courtesy of Sinfield's first penalty goal, awarded after Melbourne full-back Billy Slater passed off the ground in front of his own posts.

Melbourne's acting captain Cooper Cronk, who was at the heart of virtually every attacking move, was responsible for the breakthrough with a pinpoint pass to second rower Ryan Hoffman in the 15th minute.

Leeds winger Lee Smith, sniffing a potential interception, came out of the defensive line and Hoffman went in for his side's only try.

The Rhinos were stifled by their opponents' enthusiasm for the tackle but they were also clearly frustrated by referee Ashley Klein's generosity at the ruck, where Melbourne were allowed to lay on in the tackle well beyond the time normally permitted in Super League.

They also suffered a blow when in-form stand-off McGuire went off after 24 minutes with a shoulder injury, the result of a crunching three-man tackle which came well after the ball had left his foot.

Leeds' perseverance paid off just before half-time, however, when full-back Brent Webb's cut-out pass found Scott Donald unmarked on the left wing and video referee Phil Bentham awarded the try after dismissing the hint of an obstruction.

Sinfield's touchline conversion gave his side a four-point lead and it extended that with a second penalty on 62 minutes after Rob Burrow had been the victim of a late shoulder charge by Jeff Lima.

The Leeds skipper maintained his composure after complaining to the referee about being dazzled by a laser beam from the crowd.

The Rhinos, who finished the match without a specialist centre, had a try from substitute Carl Ablett disallowed by the video referee for a knock-on and scrambled superbly to deny Melbourne winger Anthony Quinn after a rare raid on their line.