Leeds beat Halifax in Wheelchair Super League final
Leeds have reached all five Wheelchair Grand Finals and won the title twice
- Published
Wheelchair Super League Grand Final, Allam Sports Centre, Hull:
Leeds Rhinos (16) 52
Tries: Collins 2, Halliwell 2, Mulhall, Butler 3, Boyd-Ward Cons: Collins 8
Halifax Panthers (22) 32
Tries: Hawkins 3, Calcott, Bourson 2 Cons: Boardman, Hawkins 3
Leeds Rhinos fought back to beat Halifax Panthers in the Wheelchair Super League Grand Final in Hull and secure their second title.
Rob Hawkins crossed twice as Halifax led 22-16 at the break but two tries from Nathan Collins kept the Rhinos firmly in the hunt.
Collins then set up two more quick tries to put Leeds back in front and, although Hawkins levelled, Josh Butler's second-half hat-trick helped seal an emphatic win.
The victory completes a perfect season for the Rhinos after retaining the League Leaders' Shield with eight wins from eight, and it takes them level with Halifax on two Super League crowns.
Rhinos will seek to become the first team to defend the crown next season, but will face added competition when the league expands from five teams to eight.
Nathan Collins scored two tries in a 24-point haul to secure Leeds' second Super League title
Collins masterclass orchestrates Leeds fightback
The Rhinos have reached all five Wheelchair Grand Finals but had lost the past two, including a defeat by two-time champions Halifax in 2022, and, for a while, history looked to be repeating itself.
Collins put Leeds ahead within a minute but the Panthers responded strongly as a double from Hawkins, the league's Young Player of the Year, and a try from Joseph Calcott gave them a 16-4 lead.
Jeremy Bourson scorched away from inside his own half to restore Halifax's two-score lead after England captain Tom Halliwell had cut the deficit, but Collins' second try kept Leeds in touch at the break.
Two stunning Collins offloads sent in former Halifax player Nathan Mulhall and Wheels of Steel award winner Butler as Leeds regained the lead for the first time since the seventh minute.
Halifax's Hawkins completed his hat-trick with a super finish and added the conversion to level.
But Leeds bossed the second half and three tries in five minutes from Jodie Boyd-Ward, Butler and Halliwell sent them 18 points clear.
A second score from France international Bourson briefly raised Halifax hopes, but Butler completed his hat-trick to ensure Leeds became the first team to complete an unbeaten campaign with a perfect 10 wins.
Leeds Rhinos head coach James Simpson told Sky Sports:
"I didn't need to speak to the players in that last 40 minutes - they came up with the answers themselves and I'm absolutely proud of them for it.
"I don't mind being behind at half-time. I know my guys can bring it back in the last 20. We dominate the last 20 quite a lot and I just knew they had it in them.
"I'm so proud of the players and I'm so proud of everything they've done this year."
On Nathan Collins: "I think he's one of the best players in the world and he absolutely delivered in the second half."
Halifax Panthers player-coach Wayne Boardman told Sky Sports:
"The second half, they came out and were the better team.
"They piled on the pressure and we made unforced error after unforced error, and if we don't have the ball we can't score.
"We'll go away and look at where we went wrong and hopefully next year we'll be back here again and we'll be able to come away with the gold instead of the silver."