AFTER trading blows with Keith Senior in an incident that sparked a melee and brought the crowd of 12,000 at Jacksonville's Hodges Stadium to their feet, South Sydney rookie Sam Huihahau was involved in a ceremony that proved the bust-up was not a stunt orchestrated to impress the American audience.

After Souths co-owner Russell Crowe told his players they each had to find an opponent to present with a commemorative Australia Day Challenge leather jacket, teammates nominated Senior to receive the gift from Huihahau.

"There was just a bit of a misunderstanding, but it's all good now," Huihahau explained after the match. "All of the boys were pumped up."

While minor on the scale of rugby league brawls, the 79th-minute incident was appreciated by the crowd - many of whom were lured to the match by the prospect of a physical contest.

"At that stage in the game I was having a bit of a look around and I thought the only thing the crowd hadn't seen was a bit of that," joked Souths coach Jason Taylor. "There wasn't much to it but it always gets them excited."

He had not been in such a jovial mood when the understrength Rabbitohs trailed 26-0 at half-time against a Leeds side containing all but Ryan Bailey from the line-up that won last year's Super League grand final, but he was pleased with how they fought back to score four unanswered tries.

"Leeds are a quality team and they're ready to go for the start of their competition next week, whereas it was our first game, but it doesn't matter who you're playing or where it's at, if you don't do some of the simple things in the game right you're not going to win," Taylor said.

"I spoke to them fairly strongly about what they needed to do in the second half and we went out there and did it so I was impressed by the way they responded."

With hooker Issac Luke terrorising the Leeds defence from dummy half, the Rabbitohs were unlucky not to snatch victory.

After throwing an intercept pass that led to a Brent Webb try for Leeds in the first quarter, Souths five-eighth Ben Rogers started the revival in the 47th minute when he dived on a Michael Greenfield grubber kick. Luke followed him over the try line after a 25-metre run from dummy half eight minutes later.

Halfback Eddie Paea then scored in the 64th minute and new recruit George Ndaira crossed the line in the 80th.

"It was bloody tough, it felt like a comp game," said prop Jaiman Lowe, who was ironed out by second-rower Ian Kirke just before half-time. "I can't remember much of the first half and I've got a bloody great headache now but it was alright, there was nothing illegal or dirty in it."

Leeds coach Brian McClennan said Luke had helped highlight some deficiencies in his side's defence around the ruck that he would try to address before next month's World Club Challenge against Melbourne.

"We've just got to work hard in that area but with the footy the boys can really play, so if we tighten up there we'll be a hard side to play against," McClennan said.

LEEDS 26 (Matt Diskin, Brent Webb, Rob Burrow, Keith Senior, Scott Donald tries; Kevin Sinfield 3 goals) beat SOUTH SYDNEY 24 (Eddie Paea, Issac Luke, Ben Rogers, George Ndaira tries; George Ndaira 2, Eddie Paea, Issac Luke goals).