Leeds Rhinos defeated Leyland Warriors 52-36 in a breathtaking encounter to win the Wheelchair Betfred Super League Grand Final and secure a famous treble having gone the entire season undefeated.
The Lancashire vs Yorkshire match produced fireworks at Medway but it was the Betfred Challenge Cup winners, who defended their crown with a sensational team performance. Their victory in that final over Halifax Panthers set them on their way to success and they have once again proved that they are the dominant force in the sport.
Emotional winning captain and coach James Simpson couldn’t hide his emotions after the win. “We said to each other during the game, this has got to be the hardest 20 minutes of work you have ever put in in a wheelchair... We are battered but everyone is just absolutely over the moon.”
“It’s been a long time coming. For three years we lost every game we played, this is the same team that lost every game we played, and now we have just won the treble.”
The game, sponsored by Betfred and televised on Sky Sports for the first time was an absolute humdinger as Ewen Clibbens went over early to put the favourites 6-0 ahead before Nathan Collins added a second try and a conversion. It looked as if it would be an incredibly one-sided encounter as the Rhinos went 18-0 up thanks to Simpson, but the Warriors came back fighting through Declan Roberts.
Their star man Roberts was in no mood for pleasantries as he completed his hat-trick within half an hour and dragged his side onto level terms, showing the Rhinos that it would not be all one-way traffic at Medway.
After the break, the two sides traded scores as the Warriors took the lead for the first time, leading 24-22 after Jack Heggie went over and Declan Roberts converted. But then came an unrelenting spell of Leeds dominance that saw them turn the game from a two point deficit into a 24 point lead.
After the break, the two sides traded scores as the Warriors took the lead for the first time, leading 24-22 after Jack Heggie went over and Declan Roberts converted. But then came an unrelenting spell of Leeds dominance that saw them turn the game from a two point deficit into a 24 point lead.
Tries from Jodie Boyd-Ward, Clibbens and two from Collins as he completed his hat-trick put the game beyond all doubt and from there, it was only a matter of time before they got their hands on this famous trophy and completed the treble.
For the sport, this was an absolutely sensational advert, broadcast to a huge audience - and the game delivered on every level. In what promised to be a one-sided affair, we instead enjoyed a ding-dong battle, which ended with the greatest side in the sport at the moment, deservedly coming out on top.
Leeds Rhinos: James Simpson (3T), Nathan Collins (3T, 6G), Tom Halliwell, Ewan Clibbens (3T), Jodie Boyd-Ward (T). Interchange: Paul Horrobin.
Leyland Warriors: Declan Roberts (3T, 5G), Martin Norris, Adam Rigby (T), Phil Roberts, Matt Wooloff. Interchanges: Reece Duddle, Jack Heggie (T), Callum Young,
Shaun Gash.
Half-Time: 22-18.
Full-Time: 52-36.
