Leeds Rhinos 18 Warrington Wolves 12: Kevin Sinfield faces race to be fit for trip to Catalan Dragons after picking up ankle injury

The Rhinos stalwart limped out of Friday's victory and while it's too early to make predictions, coach Brian McDermott is hopeful of including his captain

Leeds Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield picked up an ankle injury in the 18-12 win over Warrington Wolves (GETTY IMAGES)

Kevin Sinfield has vowed to be fit for Leeds' trip to France next weekend but his coach is resigned to being without his influential captain during their immediate efforts to maintain their excellent start to the First Utility Super League season.

The goalkicking stand-off hobbled off with an ankle injury seven minutes from the end of the Rhinos' 18-12 win over Warrington at Headingley on Friday night to take some of the gloss of his side's second successive victory.

"Kev being Kev is telling me he's going to be right for next week but the medical staff are pulling me to one side and saying it's not good," said coach Brian McDermott, whose side play Catalan Dragons in Perpignan next Friday.

"I don't think it's a break but he'll go through all the processes with the medical staff and we'll get him scanned and everything.

"It's too early to make predictions but I don't think it will be any less than a couple of weeks."

England winger Tom Briscoe provided the highlight of Friday night's match with a spectacular 70-metre solo try that put his side in front but he was outshone by full-back Zak Hardaker, who produced heroics at both ends of the pitch.

He scored two tries and produced a stunning tackle to deny his opposite number Stefan Ratchford what appeared to be a certain try at a crucial stage of the match.

"It will go down as one of the best trysavers I've seen for a while," McDermott said. "I had put my pen down and thought it was a try. When I looked up it was play on and I couldn't work it out. I had to look at the replay to see he had done something special."

Warrington scored the first and last tries of the match through Joel Monaghan and Ben Westwood and almost snatched a point with a last-gasp flourish that pleased coach Tony Smith, who felt it was a marked improvement on his side's display in their opening 38-8 home defeat by St Helens.

Saints, meanwhile, scored five second-half tries to overturn a 10-6 deficit and cruise to a 34-22 victory over Hull at Langtree Park

The visitors led thanks to tries from Mickey Paea and Richard Whiting but touchdowns from Sia Soliola, Jonny Lomax and James Roby - his second of the night - put St Helens in command.

Hull skipper Gareth Ellis threatened a comeback by scoring a third try but threequarters Tommy Makinson and Mark Percival made the game safe before a Danny Houghton consolation.

Saints' influential new scrum-half Luke Walsh, man of the match on his debut against Warrington, had another fine night and landed five goals.

PA