Halifax storm back to crush Leeds and seal wheelchair treble again
Halifax Panthers beat Leeds Rhinos 64-24 to win the Wheelchair Super League Grand Final in Manchester on Sunday 20 September. The title decider was played at the National Basketball Performance Centre, with victory sealing back-to-back trebles for Halifax, according to BBC Sport.
Leeds made the faster start. They led 8-0 after 14 minutes and threatened an upset in the 5:30pm kick-off that had been scheduled for Sunday, as previewed by the Leeds Rhinos Foundation.
Then Halifax took control. They piled up points with relentless speed and handling. Leeds could not stop the flow.
Jack Brown was the sharpest finisher on court. He scored six tries for Halifax in the final. Rob Hawkins was almost as prolific, adding four tries of his own.
A try is worth four points, with two more on offer from the kicked conversion that follows. Wayne Boardman did that part superbly, landing 10 conversions for Halifax in the Grand Final.
That kicking kept the scoreboard ticking while Brown and Hawkins crossed the line. It turned a tight opening into a rout. Halifax finished 40 points clear.
What makes this stand out is the response to that early deficit. Halifax absorbed Leeds pressure at 8-0 down, then won the rest of the match by a huge margin to defend all three trophies from last season.
The personal battle was close too. Brown finished the season with 67 tries, three behind team-mate Hawkins. Between them they scored 10 of Halifax's tries in Manchester.
