Leeds skipper Kevin Sinfield led from the front as the champions strengthened their place at the top of the engage Super League.

The in-form stand-off scored two of his side's seven tries and landed all seven conversions to bring up the 1,000th point of his Leeds career.

The Rhinos' highly-predictable 10th win of the season put them four points clear of nearest challengers St Helens, at least for 24 hours, but it was not the rout many predicted.

Widnes coach Frank Endacott, who axed four regulars following last week's dismal loss to Salford, called for his side to play with "fire in their belly" and he was not disappointed.

The Vikings remain deep in relegation trouble after a ninth defeat in 11 matches but they did much to salvage their respect with a battling performance highlighted by two tries from skipper Shane Millard.

The hosts were hit by an outbreak of mumps which deprived them of the services of stand-off Owen Craigie and winger Misili Manu and forced a late re-shuffle.

And they looked desperately in need of a pick-me-up when the Rhinos set off an electrifying pace.

Sinfield set up a fourth-minute try for makeshift prop Jamie-Jones Buchanan with a wonderful pass around his tackler and then finished off a break by centre Chev Walker as the champions roared into a 12-0 lead after only six minutes.

The skipper added both conversions and the visitors would have been further ahead had winger Mark Calderwood not been brought back for a forward pass.

But Sinfield turned from hero to villain by being sin-binned for a professional foul and the Vikings, with forwards John Stankevitch and Mick Cassidy in sparkling form, seized their man advantage to draw level.

Millard forced his way over from dummy half on 16 minutes and, after Sinfield had been shown the yellow card for laying on in the tackle, second-rower Daniel Frame followed up a kick from Stephen Myler that bounced back off a post to touch down.

Myler's second goal levelled matters but substitute Liam Botham regained the lead for the Rhinos when he took Richie Mathers' long pass to cross by the posts and centre Keith Senior proved unstoppable in injury-time as he charged in for his 12th Super League try of the season.

Both sides finished the half a man short following the sin-binning of props Julian O'Neill (Widnes) and Ryan Bailey (Leeds) for fighting.

Leeds extended their lead six minutes into the second half when loose forward Gareth Ellis gathered Mathers' perfectly-judged grubber kick on the last tackle to register his side's fifth try.

And the result was finally put beyond doubt after 58 minutes when Sinfield took a pass from prop Danny Ward to grab his second try of the match.

Widnes' leading scorer Aaron Moule looked to have pulled a try back when he intercepted a Leeds pass and raced 70 metres only to be hauled down agonising short of the line by Calderwood.

But the home side did manage consolation tries when Millard took Mark Smith's long pass to go through a gap in the Leeds defence to claim his second and winger Richie Barnett squeezed over at the corner to open his account for the club.

The Rhinos were never seriously threatened, though, and they completed the scoring four minutes from the end when Jones-Buchanan forced his way over from close range for his second try.