The Rhinos endured a relegation fight during a nightmare 2016 campaign but they have showed signs of their old selves this season and another title would complete their resurrection.
Hull retained the Challenge Cup last month but they have not won at Headingley for a decade and their only Grand Final appearance came in 2006 when they lost to St Helens.
Legendary Leeds duo Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow made their final appearances on home soil last night and will now aim for a glorious last hurrah at the Theatre of Dreams next weekend.
Captain McGuire was making his 450th career outing ahead of an end-of-season move to Hull KR, while Burrow is retiring and joining the Rhinos’ backroom staff.
The pair have contributed more than most in making Leeds the dominant force of the Super League era and were given a guard of honour before kick-off.
An emotionally fraught Leeds boss Brian McDermott said: “The job is not because if we don’t next week it will be hurt.
“But I think it’s a huge achievement from the players after all the ridicule they’ve had. To get to the Grand Final is big.”
There was the added sub-plot of retiring Hull veteran Gareth Ellis, who won two Grand Finals with Leeds in 2007 and 2008 and will now bring down the curtain on his own distinguished career.
Homegrown second-rower Stevie Ward drove through the heart of the Hull defence and stretched out an arm to put Leeds in front before McGuire produced some of his old magic to dart past a visiting defender and usher prop Anthony Mullally over from close range.
Hull finally got off the mark when Ellis took Danny Houghton’s pass and crashed over the line.
Having largely dominated the opening 40 minutes, a 12-6 interval lead was scant reward for Leeds.
Hull responded five minutes after the restart when a delightful handling sequence culminated in Jake Connor sending Mahe Fonua over in the right corner.
Marc Sneyd failed to convert the try and gradually the momentum swung back in Leeds’ favour.
In the 54th minute, Cumbrian prop Brad Singleton collected possession from McGuire and embarked on a marauding diagonal run which took him over in the left corner, only for it to be disallowed.
Moments later, Hull advanced upfield and forged ahead when Sneyd’s high kick was fielded by Connor into the path of Sika Manu, who touched down from close range.
Sneyd’s conversion made it 16-12 to Hull but Liam Sutcliffe showed outstanding pace and strength to scythe through the visiting defence inside the left channel in the 62nd minute to make it 16-16.
Kallum Watkins kicked his third conversion to put Leeds back in front and give them a slender but precious advantage they did not surrender.
Hull boss Lee Radford said: “We just fell short unfortunately and we got beat by the better team but I cannot fault the effort of my players.
“We went down swinging but we just weren’t smart enough in the last ten minutes.
“You could hear a pin drop in the changing room afterwards. There is some soul-searching going on in there now.”
