Salford opened a crucial six-point gap over bottom club Castleford after their second win in just over a month against the Yorkshire outfit.
But Castleford will be kicking themselves after squandering a 12-0 lead after only 17 minutes.
The Reds ended a four-match losing run thanks largely to a dominant second-half show.
The Tigers went ahead after only five minutes when Brad Davis, back at the club for a second spell, threw out a long pass to Damian Gibson who put Paul Mellor over in the corner.
Wayne Godwin booted the conversion and then added the extras to Andy Lynch's try which put Cas firmly in control.
Salford were stung into action with props Neil Baynes and Gareth Haggerty leading the charge.
Gavin Clinch sent Andy Coley charging through a weak Davis tackle to cut the gap to 12-6 before skipper Malcolm Alker notched his first try after a smart move also involving Cliff Beverley and Anthony Stewart.
Chris Charles landed his second conversion to level the scores but Cas edged ahead 14-12 at the break with a Godwin penalty.
Salford took the lead for the first time in the 53rd minute with Clinch providing the pass for Charles to go over after Jon Hepworth failed to find touch from a penalty.
Mellor almost notched a second try but was stopped by a superb Stewart tackle.
Salford sealed the vital win in the 68th minute when Clinch put Mark Shipway over to make it 24-14.
Castleford's agony was complete seven minutes from time when sub Karl Fitzpatrick shot through for Alker to grab his second try with Charles booting his fifth goal from five attempts
Bradford put Tetley's Super League bottom team Castleford to the sword in a 10-try hammering at the Jungle.
Paul Deacon and Lesley Vainikolo led the spree as the Bulls showed their class - Deacon grabbed a try and kicked 10 goals while Vainikolo collected two touchdowns in each half.
Leon Pryce put Bradford ahead in the third minute when he chased his own kick to score.
Castleford's on-loan half-back Luke Robinson had a touchdown disallowed six minutes later after following up his own neat kick.
The Tigers fell further behind in the 13th minute when Stuart Reardon and Robbie Paul split open their defence to put Vainikolo in for his first try.
The New Zealand international struck again three minutes later when Paul's inside pass sent him powering in for his second touchdown - and Deacon's third goal made it 18-0.
The Tigers opened their account in the 22nd minute when Nathan Sykes' powerful drive paved the way for hooker Wayne Godwin to go over from acting half for a try he also improved.
Bradford quickly regained control when Deacon's 27th-minute penalty was followed by the first of two tries in by centre Shontayne Hape.
Hape scored his second three minutes before half-time after slick play by Vainikolo and Logan Swann.
Deacon's sixth goal put Bradford out of sight at 32-6.
Bradford's Carl Pratt had a try disallowed for a forward pass shortly before half-time and Joe Vagana had one ruled out early in the second period for a double movement.
Bulls full-back Reardon thwarted Tigers winger Darren Rogers with a try-saving tackle before the Bulls shot further ahead when Paul sent in Deacon.
The one-way traffic continued when Jamie Peacock stormed over from 35 yards and Vainikolo completed his hat-trick with a 90-yard individual effort.
Andy Lynch sent Rogers over for Castleford's second try in the 71st minute and Godwin added the goal but Bradford completed the rout with further touchdowns from substitute Rob Parker and Vainikolo after Castleford's Damien Gibson was sin-binned for holding down.
Tigers' second-rower Sean Ryan was carried off in the 54th minute with a serious looking leg injury.
Two magical touches from Danny McGuire lit up an otherwise forgettable top-versus-bottom clash which was all too predictable as Leeds heaped more misery on their relegation-threatened neighbours.
There was never any doubt over the outcome once Rhinos winger Marcus Bai pounced on a defensive error by youngster Dean Ripley to score the first of Leeds' eight tries after only two minutes.
Substitute Willie Poching grabbed a hat-trick as Castleford leaked a century of points in two matches to remain rooted to the foot of the table.
McGuire, who has never failed to touch down against Castleford, took only nine minutes to increase his lead at the top of the try-scoring charts.
The pacy stand-off, who has been in sensational form this year, showed blistering pace over 90 metres to score directly from a scrum deep in Rhinos territory.
He grabbed another long-range try, this time courtesy of Francis Cummins' incisive break, before half-time to take his Super League tally for the season to 24, five of them against the hapless Tigers.
Hooker Matt Diskin scored his side's other first-half try, after taking a return pass from Sinfield close to the line, and Leeds had other efforts from Mark Calderwood and Chris McKenna disallowed.
Castleford pulled a try back on 23 minutes when prop Andy Lynch took a pass from Luke Robinson, who was the only player to cause Leeds problems, and plunged over the line but it was merely a brief stoppage in the one-way traffic.
Castleford came out early for the second half but they were quick to rue their haste after conceding three further tries within 11 minutes of the re-start.
They were pulled up for obstruction at the kick-off and 34 seconds later prop Danny Ward slipped an inside pass for Poching to claim his first try.
McGuire would have completed his hat-trick had it not been for a forward pass but Leeds were on a roll and Calderwood finally got over for a try and Poching grabbed his second after McGuire had collected Chev Walker's inside kick.
Castleford briefly stemmed the onslaught on 58 minutes when prop Craig Greenhill forced his way over from close range and New Zealand Test centre Motu Tony sprinted 80 metres for an interception try to claim another consolation effort.
But Leeds prop Chris Feather had a try ruled out after being held on his back but there was no stopping Poching as he completed his notable hat-trick on 72 minutes and Sinfield kicked his seventh goal from eight attempts.
Basement side Castleford hit back from 12 points down in the first half to gain a vital win over Huddersfield in their battle to avoid relegation.
The teams were locked at 20-20 when centre Darren Rogers went in at the corner in the 69th minute for the deciding score.
And the Tigers survived a tense final 11 minutes to register their first home win in the Tetley's Super League.
They had missed an early chance when Lee Harland failed to take Ryan Hudson's difficult pass near the try line.
The Giants then scored in their first attack when Brandon Costin's clever pass put James Evans over in the fourth minute.
The Tigers failed to take a simple opportunity four minutes later when Luke Robinson was unable to capitalise on Paul Mellor's kick when a try looked certain.
Wayne Godwin opened Castleford's account with a 13th-minute penalty but they were unable to cash in after Huddersfield were reduced to 12 men when Chris Nero was sin binned for holding down.
Costin edged the Giants further ahead with a 20th-minute penalty before he helped set up their second try seven minutes later.
And he combined with Stuart Donlan to put Sean Penkywicz in for a touch-down that he also converted improved.
Costin was on target again with a 40-yard penalty in the 32nd minute to make it 14-2.
The Tigers should have scored three minutes later but Brad Davis fumbled to take Motu Tony's pass over the try line.
They finally got the try they had threatened in the 39th minute when Robinson, Davis and Rogers sent in Mellor.
The Giants increased their lead to 10 points on the stroke of half time with another Costin penalty.
Castleford made the start they needed in the second half when Davis' perfectly judged kick created a try for on-loan Robinson who added the goal.
Castleford went ahead for the first time seven minutes later when captain Ryan Hudson forced his way over from close range and Robinson again tagged on the extras.
Castleford, who were now playing with renewed confidence, nosed further ahead with 61st minute penalty goal from Robinson.
However, the outcome was back in the melting pot when the Giants levelled six minutes later, Hefin O'Hare squeezing in at the corner.
The Tigers got the edge just three minutes later with Rogers' vital score after good work by Davis and Mellor.
Castleford Tigers coach Gary Mercer was naturally delighted with his side's first home league win.
After the bottom club came back from 14-2 down to beat Huddersfield Giants 24-20 at The Jungle, Mercer said: "The lads were just phenomenal.
"They dug deep and played for themselves and played for the club. All credit to them. They showed so much heart.
"It has been a tough season but we have regrouped.
"Once we got a sniff today I said to the players all they had to be was patient."
Mercer paid tribute to scrum-half Luke Robinson who is on loan from Wigan Warriors.
Mercer said: "Luke has been fantastic. He has so much grit about him. He has come from a winning culture at Wigan. In the last two matches he has really knuckled down."
Huddersfield boss Jon Sharp was disappointed with his side's second-half performance after their top six challenge took a knock.
Sharp said: "We certainly gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game. I thought we were tremendous in the first half.
"I thought basically we forgot to come back out in the second half. It was very disappointing.
"I thought Castleford looked a desperate side and I thought we just lacked composure.
"The third quarter of the game was a pivotal period when they scored two tries off silly errors in our own quarter."
Wigan moved up to second place in the Tetley's Super League with winger Brett Dallas grabbing four tries as the Warriors stretched their unbeaten run to nine games and added to Castleford's relegation worries.
The relegation-haunted Tigers got the start they wanted, taking the lead after five minutes when a long pass from Brad Davis put Waine Pryce in at the corner.
But Wigan hit back at the double - Dallas racing in almost from halfway for the first and Terry Newton made the second for Luke Robinson on his return to the JJB after a loan spell with the Tigers.
Hooker Newton sent in Martin Aspinwall for Wigan's third with Andy Farrell converting all three scores to give the Warriors an 18-4 advantage inside the opening quarter.
Castleford came back when Andy Lynch forced his way over and Jon Hepworth landed the goal.
Wigan - missing all three regular props and with Great Britain full-back Kris Radlinski pressed into emergency service at loose forward for the first time in his career - claimed their fourth try a minute into the second half.
Farrell's break did the damage, Radlinski provided the support and Newton raced in.
Castleford turned the tide when on-loan Matt Gardner - making his debut - scored in the corner.
But Wigan hit back instantly when the impressive Newton turned provider popping out a great pass for Aussie winger Dallas to claim his second of the night.
Newton then struck again, claiming his 17th try of the season after being sent on his way by Danny Tickle.
Darren Rogers forced his way over for Castleford's fourth try before Dallas finished with a flourish adding two more.
Skipper Farrell landed seven goals out of seven with Danny Tickle adding the final conversion.