ACCORDING to Tykes' coach Stuart Lancaster, the Tigers are: "not a bottom two team".

However, after watching his side eventually overcome a stubborn, workman-like Park outfit and eventually grab a bonus-point win, he added: "But they have to discover some self-belief."

Indeed, it was a confident start to the game that saw the visitors take a 10-0 lead inside the first quarter.

A Phil Jones three-pointer followed a move that had seen Adam Newton go close on the right before the ball was swung back along the midfield to Chris Hall on the left wing, who dropped it as he went to touch down by the left-hand corner flag.

But on 19 minutes Hall made up for his earlier misdemeanour when he did manage to score. Scrum-ball won on the Tykes' 10-metre line allowed the Tigers to pick-and-drive before the ball was swung left to him and he showed a clean pair of heels to go over in the left-hand corner at the second time of asking to score against one of his former clubs. Jones supplied the conversion and the Tigers led 10-0.

Unfortunately within four minutes the Tykes had pulled seven points back. A strong run down the middle saw Rhys Oakley slip the ball out of the tackle to the onrushing Jonny Hepworth who crashed over between the sticks to give Leigh Hinton the easiest of conversions to make it 10-7.

On 26 minutes former Tiger Richard Welding was yellow-carded for killing the ball at the ruck and the Tigers made the most of the man-advantage.

Call-ball at a lineout saw the Tigers' forwards drive towards the line, with Jon Skurr crashing over for the five-pointer, with Jones' second successive conversion stretching the Tigers' lead to 17-7.

However, a second Hinton penalty followed by a try for Kearnan Myall - while both sides were down to 14 men after Andy Craig had been sin-binned for handling on the ground - and a Hinton conversion ensured it was all-square at 17-17 by the time the turnaround arrived.

Two further Leeds' tries in the second-half - the first from Welding on 52 minutes, the second, an interception try five minutes into time-added-on at the end of the game from Ian Humphries - along with two penalties and a conversion from Hinton condemned the Tigers to a sixth-straight defeat.

But there were signs that Sedgley, sooner rather than later, will snatch that elusive first win and finally ignite their stuttering season.

Hall, in his first game back, looked strong and full of running, while Jason Duffy finally made his debut and was solid in midfield.

Up front the addition of Sale Sharks' duo Martin Halsall (prop) and Ben Lloyd (lock) added some bulk and power especially in the scrum and mauls.

Sedgley deserved to emerge from this game with points and if they can build on this performance who is to say this Saturday's visit of the Cornish Pirates cannot serve up a repeat of last season's victory and finally get the Tigers' season up and running?

Sedgley: De Jager (Jope, 66), Hall, Craig, Duffy (Voortman, 53), Briers, P. Jones, J. Albinson, Evans (Gazzola, 53), Roddam (M. Jones, 73), Halsall (Du Plessis, 76) Swart, Lloyd (Norris, 66), Newton, Ponton, Skurr. Replacemen. Not used: Leck.

PETER COLLINS