Leeds Rhinos 18, Bradford Bulls 20: The Minor Premiership dream is still alive after Bradford Bulls snatched a breathtaking victory last night.

Not only did it maintain their hopes of finishing top of Super League for the second successive season, but it also kept Leeds agonising over their participation in the Grand Final Series.

The Rhinos looked to have secured a third win of the season over their derby rivals, and with it a play-off berth, when they led 18-16 with two minutes left of a rousing, error-strewn game played on a pitch made wet by an early-evening downpour.

But the Bulls kept the ball alive superbly in a last-ditch bid for victory and Leon Pryce took Nathan McAvoy's superb off-load to crash over for the match-winning try.

The Bulls were without winger Tevita Vaikona (Achilles injury) and centre Scott Naylor (calf injury), and coach Brian Noble again preferred Pryce at stand-off ahead of Robbie Paul.

Brian McDermott had recovered sufficiently from treading on a nail to be on the bench.

Meanwhile, Leeds coach Daryl Powell had gambled by dropping leading points scorer Ben Walker for the second time this season.

And his bold move looked to have paid off as the Rhinos charged into a 16-6 interval lead.

Kevin Sinfield - a specialist loose forward - took over Walker's stand-off role, with youngster Danny McGuire preferred on the bench, yet again raising doubts over the Super League future of the former Brisbane Bronco.

But Sinfield was in inspired form as Leeds dominated the first half, despite conceding a try within 87 seconds of the kick-off.

The Bulls made a supreme start, with full back Michael Withers slicing through for his 17th try of the season before much of the 15,328 crowd had settled in their seats.

That followed a superb 40-20 kick from scrum half Paul Deacon that bounced wickedly in front of Leeds full back and skipper Francis Cummins.

Deacon also landed the conversion to register his 300th point of the season, and the Great Britain international also kicked magnificently throughout from the hand.

His bobbling, well-weighted kicks consistently pinned Leeds behind or near their own line.

But the Bulls, confidence dented by recent back-to-back defeats, struggled to cope with the greasy ball and put themselves under enormous pressure with a series of handling errors, many of them on the first tackle.

Leeds' handling was more assured in the first half and they possessed a devastating strike force in block-busting centre pairing Keith Senior and Chev Walker.

Walker twisted and turned out of Lesley Vainikolo's tackle to score in the fifth minute and Senior brushed off an attempted challenge from Pryce with contemptuous ease to touch down for the eighth successive game and take his tally for the season to 20.

In between, loose forward Willie Poching took a clever inside pass from the impressive Andy Hay to wrong-foot Withers and crash over the line.

Sinfield missed with his first two shots at goal, bringing Walker's absence to the forefront, before putting over a 30th-minute penalty and then, finding his range, he converted Senior's try from the touchline.

However, after an animated half-time team talk from Noble, the Bulls were a rejuvenated side after the break and it was the Rhinos' turn to buckle under pressure.

Second-rower Daniel Gartner pounced for a soft try just two minutes into the second half after Walker lost the ball in a gang tackle close to his own line and Deacon added the conversion.

The Bulls thought they had scored again when Vainikolo brilliantly passed the ball back inside to his centre - one of his best features this season.

However The Volcano's split-second judgment before being bundled into touch only resulted in his left-sided partner failing to ground the ball cleanly.

Nevertheless, the visitors did draw level in the 53rd minute when Robbie Paul, introduced as a substitute just six minutes earlier, went on a solo run 15 metres out, jinking and weaving his way through a mesmerised Leeds defence for his 14th try of the season.

It was further confirmation of his liking for the Rhinos as opposition as this was his 19th try against them since he joined the Bulls in 1994.

Deacon was off target for the first time and Sinfield edged Leeds back in front in the 61st minute with a penalty after prop Brian McDermott was pulled up for ball-stealing.

The Bulls had a glorious chance to win it when second-rower Jamie Peacock broke clean through the home defence with ten minutes left but Rhinos full back Cummins managed to get a hand to his final pass meant for Withers.

However, the World Club champions maintained the pressure and it paid off when Pryce went past some tired legs for the try that broke the hearts of the battling Rhinos.