St Helens Women 28 Leeds Rhinos Women 0

Leeds Rhinos Women were unable to retain their Super League title despite a brave effort from Lois Forsell's team in front of a record 4,235 crowd at Emerald Headingley. Leeds had the first clear cut opportunity of the game inside five minutes, Winfield-Hill with a delicate angled kick to the Saints 20 metre line, Sophie Nuttal collecting the kick, stepping her winger but clawed down agonisingly close to the line by the Saints fullback Rachael Woosey. St Helens found themselves down to twelve women in the 10th minute, captain Jodie Cunningham sin binned for a professional foul on Caitlin Beevers, the Rhinos fullback taking a quick tap on the twenty metre line from an over shot Zoe Harris grubber, Cunnigham not retreating the ten metres and tackling her England team mate to slow play down. Despite the disadvantage of one less woman on the field, St Helens continued to threaten on the edges, Zoe Harris linking up with Leah Burke on the right sideline before being rushed by Beevers and Nuttal and escorted into touch shy of the try line. Back to back penalties one for offside and another for a strip put St Helens in prime field position. A strong carry from Vicky Whitfield improved their position before Chantelle Crowl was held up over the line. Saints would hit the front in the 22nd minute of the back of the aforementioned pressure on the Rhinos line, Harris sliding a bouncing kick in behind the defence and Burke gathering it in to score the opening points, Burke unable to convert from the sideline. The Rhinos missed out on a golden opportunity to level the game. A Saints knock on inside their own 10 metre area gifting the defending champions a chance to register points, Leeds moving the ball laterally on multiple plays but unable to breach the sturdy Saints defensive line. Leeds were dealt a bitter blow in the final stages of the first half, winger Sophie Nuttal leaving the field on a stretcher after coming up with a try-saver and  courageous cover tackle during a dangerous Saints attacking raid. St Helens extended their lead seconds from halftime, Jodie Cunningham taking the ball to the left edge before stepping inside from forty metres out and racing clear to dive under the posts, Stott converting to give the league leaders a 10-0 lead at halftime. It was a tense start to the second half, the kick off spilled by the Rhinos and invited the Saints into dangerous territory. The Rhinos holding out the attack and conceding a repeat set before Robinson and Gaines combined to force the St Helens attacker over the sideline to end Saints' hopes of adding to their tally. Relentless pressure from Saints would pay dividends in the 57th minute when Leah Burke pounced on a bobbling ball to grab her second of the game. On the 5th and last Zoe Harris once more teasing the defensive line before sliding in a grubber to the corner from the right edge, Burke the fastest to react and narrowly grounding the ball inside the field of play. Stott unable to convert. St Helens would score back to back tries, Paige Travis with a bustling, fending run finding a quick play the ball before a shift to the left put a surging Amy Hardcastle through a gap to hare away from the cover defense and ground the ball on the right. Stott unable to convert leaving the scoreline 18-0 to the league leaders with 20 minutes to play. Zoe Harris would score a try of her own with 67 minutes played, the Saints number six sliding through a hole created by a block play to the right edge. Stott converting to make it 24-0. The St Helens total continued to grow into the dying minutes of the game, Danielle Bush the latest to cross, Cunnigham engaging the defensive line on the left edge before releasing a cut out ball to the winger. The kick missed by Stott and Saints seeing the game out as 28-0 winners and the new Betfred Women's Super League Champions.