Leeds Carnegie were made to work hard by Rotherham at Clifton Lane but eventually ran out 41-24 with a ruthless last twenty minutes led by Jonny Hepworth who created two tries to seal the win.
Leeds Carnegie arrived at Clifton Lane looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season. In contrast, the hosts were looking for their first win of the new campaign.
Leeds included four ex-Rotherham players in their 22 man squad for this Yorkshire derby that over the years has produced some fantastic battles.
The visitors started brightly in the Autumn sunshine at Clifton Lane and had the chance to take the lead after three minutes but Alberto Di Bernardo badly struck his penalty attempt and it fell harmlessly short.
As it was the winless Titans scored the first points of the game after two Leeds defenders were caught offside in midfield and Tom Barlow stepped up to kick the penalty from 35 metres out to give his side a 3-0 lead after eight minutes.
Di Bernardo missed another chance with the boot two minutes later when he pulled his kick to the left of the posts.
Leeds finally got into their strides after 12 minutes when a good spell of pressure on the Rotherham line was finally awarded with a try. Jon Dunbar and Joe Bedford combined to set up the scoring move, with Di Bernardo coming into the line at pace to go through the defence. He added the conversion to make it 7-3.
He extended the lead to 10-3 after 16 minutes when Tinus Duplessis was penalised for killing the ball in the ruck 15 metres in front of his own posts. Having found his range now, Di Bernardo had no problems with the penalty.
Having gained a foothold in the game, expectations were that Leeds would go on to put the game to bed however they allowed the Titans to come back into the game. Just before the half hour they enjoyed their best spell of the game and gained a reward when Barlow kicked a penalty on 31 minutes from 30 metres out after Leeds seemed to be harshly penalised for going in over the top.
Rotherham were then denied a try by referee Malcolm Whitaker when Brad Hunt was tackled short of the line and then knocked on trying to reach out for the line.
Leeds needed a release from the pressure and it came with a piece of quick thinking by club captain Rob Rawlinson. The hooker reacted quickest to a knock on by Rotherham and, rather than wait for the scrum, he took the challenge to the hosts. He burst up field before passing to Richard Welding, who raced up field before chipping ahead only to be taken out as he ran through. Leeds kicked the penalty to touch and following a great take by Jon Pendlebury, the pack rumbled forward and Hendre Fourie eventually crossed for his fourth try of the season against his old club. Di Bernardo added the conversion to make it 17-6 after 38 minutes.
There was still time left in the half for Rotherham to be reduced to 14 men when back rower Jon Skurr was sin binned for a late tackle on Di Bernardo, although Leeds could not take advantage of the ensuing line out from close range.
Barlow missed the chance to cut the deficit after 46 minutes when he attempted a long range penalty from 50 metres out but it dropped short and wide.
However, he made no mistake two minutes later when Pendlebury was penalised for offside 15 metres from his own line, Barlow's kick making it 17-9.
Leeds once again needed to up the tempo and they did just that from a line out inside the Rotherham 22. The ball was passed along the back line before a great miss pass by Di Bernardo out wide to Scott Armstrong sent the replacement away down the touchline to score. Di Bernardo missed the conversion but Leeds now led 22-6.
However, credit to Rotherham they came straight back and scored their first try of the game through Chris Briers, the centre broke through 15 metres out and just managed to get to the line to score.
The conversion was missed but the hosts were soon back to within a point of Leeds. Having regained possession near the visitors line, they set up a ruck and replacement scrum half Neil Chivers dummied from the base before diving over between the posts. Barlow added the conversion to make it 22-21 after 56 minutes.
Just when Leeds needed a steadying hand, captain Mike MacDonald provided it with a try to wrap up the bonus point. Having taken a good line out from 20 metres out, the ball was fed wide. Jonny Hepworth elected to find contact with an overlap out wide, however the ball was recycled quickly and MacDonald crashed over in the corner. Di Bernardo was again unsuccessful with the kick so Leeds' lead was still only six points after 60 minutes.
Barlow cut that lead even further after 64 minutes with a penalty from near the touchline after McGee was penalised at the scrum.
The nerves were settled for the visitors with 11 minutes left when Fourie crossed for his second try of the game.  Hepworth created the chance with a 40 metre break up field and the ball was moved from left to right before Fourie cut back inside to cross near the posts. Di Bernardo was successful this time to make it 34-24.
With the pressure off, Leeds finally cut loose and it was Hepworth again who did the damage. He broke through the cover before racing 30 metres up field and throwing a long pass out wide to Armstrong to score his second try. Di Bernardo added the conversion from the touchline to make to make the final score 41-24.
Leeds came through a real test from Rotherham and collected maximum points to take them level with Bedford at the top of the table.

Rotherham Titans: Whitehead, Feeley, Hunt, Briers, Claassens, Barlow, Erskine, Corsar, Horn, Prescott, Challinor, Raven, Burrows, Duplessis, Skurr.
Replacements: Conroy, O'Donnell for Prescott (63), McGowan for Raven (57), Jacobsz for Challinor (69), Allen for Hunt (74), West for Barlow (37), Chivers for Erskine (51)
Leeds Carnegie: Hinton, Welding, Hepworth, Barrow, Biggs, Di Bernardo, Bedford, MacDonald, Rawlinson, McGee, Murphy, Pendlebury, Dunbar, Fourie, Oakley.
Replacements: Pala'amo for McGee (65), Nilsen, Lund for Murphy (57), D Paul for Dunbar (57), Mathie for Bedford (53), Brooks for Barrow (63), Armstrong for Welding (43), Pala'amo for McGee (BB40 rev HT)
Referee: Malcolm Whitaker
Attendance: 2,021