Leeds snatched a dramatic injury-time victory in a derby thriller to leapfrog arch-rivals Bradford at the top of the engage Super League.

The Bulls looked to have secured the points when they led 14-6 early in the second half but the Rhinos staged a smash-and-grab act with two tries in the last 14 minutes to condemn their hosts to a second successive home League defeat.

Great Britain second-rower Gareth Ellis pounced on a defensive error after 66 minutes and Australian winger Scott Donald scored his second try in almost the last move of the match to secure Leeds' sixth win from eight games.

The opening match of Super League's packed Easter programme was played at a fast and furious pace from first minute to last in front of a 16,706 crowd at the Gratton Stadium, Odsal, but was punctuated by some ferocious tackling, not all of it legal.

The Rhinos, won also triumphed 30-0 at Odsal in May, had full-back Brent Webb sin-binned - for the third time this season - after 22 minutes for a high tackle on James Evans.

Webb had earlier been placed on report for a high challenge on former Leeds captain Iestyn Harris.

And the Bulls took full advantage of the extra man, with another former Rhinos player Marcus St Hilaire finishing off the best move of the half to claim the 99th try of his career.

Second rower David Solomona, who surprisingly came off the bench, began the move with a slipped pass to Harris and his long ball to Glenn Morrison created the opening for winger St Hilaire to cross at the corner.

Paul Deacon failed to add the conversion but he had earlier given his side a 4-0 lead with two penalties before Leeds scored a try through winger Scott Donald, who clinically finished off smart work from the dangerous Keith Senior.

Kevin Sinfield missed the conversion but edged the visitors in front with a 20th-minute penalty, while second rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan was brought down inches short of the try-line.

Bradford ought to have scored when teenage prop Sam Burgess broke clean through the Leeds defence only to throw a wayward pass but they added to their score in first-half injury-time when Deacon kicked a third penalty.

Bradford's prolific winger Lesley Vainikolo, strangely subdued in the first half, was furious with himself for dropping Jamie Langley's pass close to the line two minutes into the second half.

But the powerful Tongan made up for his error two minutes later, charging onto Evans' ball to crash over for his 137th try on his 141st appearance for the Bulls.

Deacon, normally the most reliable of goalkickers, was off target for the second time but, at 14-6, Bradford were two scores in front as the contest entered the final quarter and ought to have made the game safe.

Leeds almost cut the deficit when the dangerous Danny McGuire made a half-break but Webb could not take the final pass, while Langley - who this week signed a new three-year contract - demonstrated his value to the Bulls with a try-saving tackle on Jones-Buchanan.

As the game swung from end to end, Bradford centre Ben Harris was hauled down agonisingly short of the Leeds line before St Hilaire conceded a costly goalline dropout to put his side under pressure.

The Rhinos pounced for their second try after 66 minutes when full-back Michael Platt failed to deal with Sinfield's stabbed kick and Ellis followed up to grab the vital touch.

Sinfield's second goal cut the gap to just two points and Leeds wiped it out altogether in a dramatic finale.

Former Bradford captain Jamie Peacock did the initial damage, offloading from the tackle to McGuire, who sent Donald haring over at the corner for his second try, to which Sinfield added his third goal.