Super League champions Leeds produced some scintillating rugby to overwhelm Wakefield and cruise to a third consecutive victory which continued an impressive start to their title defence.

The Rhinos hit a purple patch in which they rattled up 34 points in just 17 breathtaking minutes. That took the game away from the outclassed Wildcats in an embarrassingly one-sided first half at Belle Vue.

The visitors kept the ball alive superbly to run in seven first-half tries and also kept their own line intact by the interval to race into a 38-0 lead.

Wakefield rallied in the second half and restricted the champions to a solitary try but the outcome had long been decided.

The Wildcats were a shadow of the side which achieved a surprise win over Bradford in the first round while Leeds picked up from where they left off at Huddersfield, despite being prevented from fielding their Grand Final team due to the late withdrawal of prop Kylie Leuluai with flu.

They were given early encouragement with a try from centre Keith Senior after Wakefield hooker Brad Drew shot out of the line when he attempted an interception and that set the pattern for the match.

The Wildcats could do little right, with full-back Matt Blaymire twice spilling the ball as they attempted to stem the onslaught, and they spent most of the opening half camped inside their own half.

The pressure told with three further tries in an eight-minute spell midway through the first half.

Hooker Matt Diskin went over from Danny McGuire's short pass and, when Wakefield winger Luke George failed to diffuse a 'bomb' from Rob Burrow, Kevin Sinfield was on hand to touch down.

Leeds were even a threat from their own half, as they demonstrated on 24 minutes when a Jamie Peacock offload freed full-back Brent Webb and he gave winger Scott Donald an unopposed run to the line.

Wakefield's frailty under the high ball was exposed once more when McGuire's kick bounced between two defenders and presented substitute Ali Lauitiiti with a simple try.

The brilliant Rhinos were simply unstoppable, with Burrow scampering away to present McGuire with the easiest of tries while Webb broke clear to get Donald over for his second try.

Leeds could afford to rest Great Britain forwards Peacock and Gareth Ellis at the start of the second half, such was their commanding position, and it took them some time to rediscover their rhythm.

No doubt given an interval tongue-lashing by coach John Kear, Wakefield showed more fight and determination after the break but still without the skill to break down the champions' watertight defence.

The introduction of Jamie Rooney for his first appearance of Super League XIII just before half-time injected some vigour into the Wildcats play but it needed a kick from Drew to create a consolation try for George on 62 minutes.

They added a second 10 minutes from the end when centre Ryan Atkins was released by Brough on halfway but Leeds had the final say when Diskin went over from acting half-back for his second try and Sinfield kicked his sixth goal from eight attempts to take his personal haul to 16 points.