LEEDS were indebted to youngsters Jordan Lilley and Jack Walker as they hit back from 16-12 down to beat St Helens 24-22 in a tense clash at Headingley.

England internationals Kallum Watkins and Ryan Hall got the all-important late tries that enabled the Rhinos to complete their recovery and keep them firmly on course for the Super League semi-finals.

Yet the 2015 champions also owed a lot to Lilley, who had been recalled from his loan spell at Bradford, and Walker in helping them overcome the absence of seven senior players through injury and suspension.

Full-back Walker, just 17, produced an accomplished man-of-the-match performance belying his tender years, while 21-year-old Lilley booted four goals and proved a splendid replacement for banned captain Danny McGuire on his first start of the season.

Leeds coach Brian McDermott said of Walker: "He was good. He took some challenging high balls and looks okay with the ball in his hands. It was a big game for him and his development will be better for it.

"We've had to overcome a little bit of adversity with bans and injuries but overall I'm very pleased. We were really challenged by a determined Saints side. We got put on the back foot a couple of times and we needed to have some fight about us."

The victory lifted Leeds to second place in the table above Hull, who play at runaway leaders Castleford tonight, while a third defeat for St Helens in their last five games undid the promising start made under new coach Justin Holbrook.

Meanwhile, former England scrum-half Matty Smith is said to be "in a bad way" after suffering a freak eye injury early in St Helens' defeat.

Smith, who missed the start of the season with a broken leg, was forced out of the game after just six minutes after catching a stray arm from captain Jon Wilkin as they attempted a tackle.

Doctors were unable to stitch the wound and Smith was taken to hospital, with Holbrook saying. "It wasn't just a cut, he sort of got his eyelid ripped open.

"Hopefully he'll be all right but they couldn't stitch it so he's had to go to hospital and we'll see what happens there.

"Hopefully his eye's not damaged but it's a lot worse than just a cut, that's for sure. Everyone at our club is hoping he'll be okay but I'm not sure."

Wilkin suffered more agony when he was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Leeds forward Mitch Garbutt on 62 minutes and watched on from the sidelines as acting captain Watkins went over for the all-important try that helped the home side regain the lead.