Betfred Women’s Super League play-off semi-final
Leeds (0) 0
York (8) 12
Tries: O Wood, Akwiwu Goals: Stanley 2
York Valkyrie will meet reigning Women’s Super League champions Wigan Warriors in the Grand Final after beating Leeds Rhinos at AMT Headingley Stadium.
Leon Pryce’s team, who last week ended Wigan’s 100 per cent record to book their place in the semi-final, managed tries through forwards Liv Wood and Adaoha Akwiwu in a tight contest.
Leeds had inflicted heavy defeats on their opponents in the two regular season meetings at home, but they went into the match on the back of four straight losses, and their lack of confidence showed as they came up with errors at vital moments.
The only downside for York was that their influential stand-off Tara-Jane Stanley will miss the September 27 meeting with Wigan at the Brick Community Stadium after failing a head injury assessment.
That will be a serious blow for York, who beat Wigan 26-12 last week, and a personal blow for Stanley, whose return from a two-year injury absence had sparked their run of four wins in their past five games.
They were on the front foot for most of the game and deservedly went ahead when pressure on the Rhinos line ended with England prop Liv Wood forcing her way over despite the attentions of three tacklers.
Stanley’s kicking game was important in the success, and she added the conversion and kicked a penalty to give her side breathing space at half-time.
Leeds rallied in the second half and, after Stanley had a try disallowed for a knock-on and Megan Pakulis was denied a try by a brilliant Ruby Bruce tackle, the Rhinos seemed to have struck back only for Georgia Elliston’s try to be disallowed for obstruction by a team-mate.
Stanley came up with the telling moment, a lovely pass to send Akwiwu over for York’s second try, and when Ebony Stead fumbled as she went to touch down, the home side’s hopes of a late revival were over.
Leeds: Enright; Whitehead, Cousins, Boyd, Stead; Howard, Walker; Donnelly, Bennett, Naidole, Owen, Murray, Sykes.
Interchanges: Bruce, Elliston, Brown, Glynn.
York: Donovan; Kershaw, Woods, Lenham, Partington; Stanley, Williamson; O Wood, Peach, Pakulis, Akwiwu, Andrade, Parker.
Interchanges: Bibby, Bell, A Wood, Brennan.
Referee: Denton Arnold.