More questions were being asked about Leeds Rhinos' possible infallibility after another swaggering display yesterday. One answer will come on their visit to St Helens in Friday's repeat of the Grand Final in October, when Leeds also strolled to victory. This season, dare one say, they look a more complete side.

It speak volumes for Leeds that their players were furious with themselves for conceding the late try by Gareth Raynor that ended a 236-minute run since their defence was breached during their one defeat this season, by Castleford Tigers. After shutting out Harlequins and Bradford Bulls, they looked set to keep Hull at bay, but Raynor chipped down the blindside and followed up for the consolation score.

There was an ominous warning in Brian McClennan's assessment that his team, who are two points clear in the league, are not playing at their best, an opinion based on the number of passes that went to ground. Had every chance been converted, the five-try tally might have been more than doubled. Defensively, the coach had no complaints. “That was a real nice try by Hull and that kind of thing's hard to defend,” McClennan said.

It was blindingly apparent that Hull were missing nine of their first-team squad and were nursing the scars of a one-point derby defeat by Hull Kingston Rovers last Friday. “Bigger, stronger, faster - that sums it up,” Peter Sharp, the Hull coach, who is bound to face more questions over his long-term future, said.

Sharp continues to insist that, with the injury curse lifted and all his players back, Hull will rise up the table, but they are a place off the bottom after a sixth defeat in eight matches and they are looking increasingly beleaguered. Willie Manu and Ewan Dowes should be back to beef up the pack against Catalans Dragons on Saturday. “With some troops back, we'll get better. Anyone writing us off at this stage does so at their peril,” Sharp said.

A cowed Hull team were lightweights tackling irresistible heavyweights. Jamie Peacock, the Great Britain captain, had a field day up front, Jamie Jones-Buchanan maintained his peerless start to the season and Luke Burgess, 21, again demonstrated what an outstanding prospect he is in a pack that never took a backwards step in yet another one-sided encounter for Leeds over the Easter period.

With Richard Horne making his comeback from a foot problem and Shaun Berrigan and Adam Dykes carrying injuries, it was little wonder that Hull struggled to make inroads in midfield. By contrast, Leeds were crisp and clinical and, although they were guilty of showboating, they proved compelling to watch, as offloads fizzed out of tackles and support runners backed up break after break.

Kevin Sinfield added all five goals to become the first Leeds player to score in 50 consecutive matches. Sinfield's grubber kick caught out Kirk Yeaman and dropped invitingly for Rob Burrow to plunder the opening try. Sinfield and Danny McGuire, on the stand-off's return from a shoulder injury suffered in last month's World Club Challenge victory, were twice involved in a superb handling move to put Brent Webb under the posts.

Gareth Ellis tormented the Hull defence in a seven-man build-up to a further try before the break by Lee Smith. There were times, too, when Leeds were happy to camp on their line and repel Hull's black-and-white tide, before adding two tries in the second half. Ellis was the catalyst for both, with Carl Ablett's effort preceding Sinfield grabbing Nick Scruton's offload.

Scorers: Hull: Try: Raynor. Leeds Rhinos: Tries: Burrow, Webb, Smith, Ablett, Sinfield. Goals: Sinfield 5.

Hull: M Tony; T Byrne, C Hall, K Yeaman, G Raynor; S Berrigan, A Dykes; S Wheeldon, T Lee, P Cusack, L Radford, D Tickle, D Washbrook. Interchanges: R Horne, A Fellous, M Burnett, T Briscoe.

Leeds Rhinos: B Webb; L Smith, G Ellis, K Senior, S Donald; K Sinfield, R Burrow; N Scruton, M Diskin, L Burgess, J Peacock, A Lauitiiti, J Jones-Buchanan. Interchanges: D McGuire, R Bailey, J Tansey, C Ablett.

Referee: P Bentham.