St Helens Women 14 Leeds Rhinos Women 18

By Matthew Wright The Rhinos would leave it late to secure their sport in the Grand Final against a strong and resilient St Helens side. St Helens would open the scoring inside five minutes, the home side attacking the Leeds right edge and creating numbers through Faye Gaskin to put centre Paige Travis in to the corner. Gaskin unable to convert the try. Leeds would come close to striking back ten minutes later, Courtney Hill opting to turn the defence with an early kick, Chloe Kerrigan the first to the Saints fullback, pinning her behind her own line. From the resulting set Leeds would edge closer and closer to line before Char Booth exploded through the defence and into the in-goal area, the referee deeming the second rower to be held up. The Rhinos would lose one of their star forwards, Shannon Lacey, to a nasty head clash in the middle of the first half subsequently forcing her from the field and ruling her out of the remainder of the contest. St Helens grabbed their second try of the game through winger Leah Burke. Paige Travis making the break down the Leeds right edge before drawing in Beevers and releasing Burke, Eatock quickly in attendance but the Saints' winger just able to squeeze into the corner. Gaskin unable to convert in a similar position to her first. Back to back penalties forced the Rhinos to defend their line at close quarters once more, this time Zoe Harris dummying her way through the line and going under the sticks despite Beevers' best efforts to deny her, Gaskin on hand to convert and put the home side 14-0 up. The Rhinos struck back through Abby Eatock with five minutes of the first half remaining, Bennett pivoting at dummy half switching the play to Hill to put Eatock through a hole close the line to stretch and out score. Hill unable to convert leaving it 14-4 at halftime. The Rhinos came out firing in the second half and it wouldn't take long for Leeds to cross. Woman of Steel nominee Courtney Hill from twenty five metres out went jinking away from a would be tackler and stepping past the fullback to score towards the left edge, Hill unable to convert leaving the score 14-8. Leeds had pried their way back into this game and soon they would be within touching distance of the home side. Courtney Hill pumping a kick into the left corner, Abbie Eatock contesting the kick and forcing Avenell to knock the ball on, Char Booth the fastest to react to the loose ball and tip toeing into the corner. Hill unable to convert from the right wing, the score 14-12. Ill discipline would see the Rhinos level the score with eight minutes left to play. Courtney Hill releasing the ball but hit late just 15 metres from the Saints line. Hill tying the game up at 14-14. The Rhinos booked their place in the Grand Final with the last play of the game, Courtney Hill and Hanna Butcher the creators, Abby Eatock the finisher. Hill chipping over the top on the fourth tackle and regathering but dragged down, Hill releasing the ball on her way down to Butcher, Butcher then releasing Abby Eatock into the corner to score her second of the afternoon, Hill unable to convert from the right touchline and the game finishing up 18-14 in favour of the Rhinos.