By Guy Harvey

A home final was the reward for Chev Walker and his Rhinos Reserves after losing the solitary game all season away to Hull FC. Leeds had a mix of youth and experience inn their squad although some would be players missing out following their participation in the first team fixture at Wigan the previous night, most notably Jack Sinfield. But a sole try from stand-off George Brown and two penalties from Jack Smith was enough for the Rhinos to claim the Reserves Grand Final.

With conditions very wet at AMT Headingley you would be forgiven for expecting a stop start and error strewn game of rugby, but the first twenty minutes was anything but that, the first twenty minutes was anything but that. It was a game you would expect to see in first grade, but Leeds did finally break the deadlock on midway through the first half when stand-off George Brown took the ball to the line before an audacious dummy pass fooled the Warrington defence allowing Brown to break through and race away to slide over in the right corner to score, however the touchline conversion was wide and Leeds held a 4-0 lead.

Points were still hard to come by and as Leeds looked to score when dummy half Elliot Fox went himself at the play the ball a high shot allowed Leeds the opportunity to take the kick at goal, Jack Smith comfortably putting the ball through the posts to edge Leeds only slightly further ahead at 6-0. The half had been relatively faultless from both teams only the offside call every now and then however penalties began to creep in to the game and another high tackle from Warrington allowed the Rhinos the opportunity to have another attempt at goal for two points. Jack Smith added another easy conversion, pretty much in front of the uprights, and Leeds had an 8-0 lead which is how it finish at half-time.

Warrington started the second half in better form than their hosts spending majority of the first ten minutes in the half in Leeds’ half only for errors to relieve the pressure on the Rhinos. Leeds looked to have weathered the early pressure when they went down to Warrington’s end of the field and substitute hooker Shane Tuohey going quick from dummy half almost squirming his way over to score only for the referee to blow his whistle for a knock-on. This is where Leeds caught up with Warrington and made an arm wrestle out of the second half.

The visitors went close moments later when prop Isaac Reid charged over the Leeds try line from close range only to be held up Oliver Smart. Leeds had an opportunity minutes later thanks to a break from deep in his own half from Ned McCormack but as he shifted the ball out wide as Warrington’s try line was in sight the linesman stopped in his tracks to signal a forward pass.

With time slowly running out both teams could see to be playing with high levels of anxiety, the next moment of madness came when Warrington stand-off Joseph Hickey chipped the ball across field on halfway but just as winger Francis Sergent looked to have gathered the ball and had clear field ahead of him the referee blew his whistle seeing Sergent’s foot hit the whitewash.

As the hooter sounded, what energy the Rhinos players had was used to celebrate the win and although it finished 8-0 it had been a final to remember.

Leeds Rhinos Reserves

1.      Harley Thomas

2.      Dylan Proud

3.      Jacob Hardy

4.      Ned McCormack

5.      Jack Smith

6.      George Brown

7.      Harry Smith

8.      Ben Littlewood

9.      Elliott Fox

10.  Tom Nicholson-Watson

11.  Oliver Smart

12.  Zak Lloyd

13.  Presley Cassell

14.  Shane Tuohey

15.  Joe Butterfield

16.  Dacx Jones-Buchanan

17.  Noah Whittingham

18.  Marcus Qareqare

Warrington Wolves Reserves

1.      Lachlan Webster

2.      Francis Sergent

3.      Charlie Walker

4.      James Duffy

5.      Bailey Lund

6.      Joseph Hickey

7.      Daniel Regan

20.  Max Wood

9.      Ben Hartill

19.  Thomas McKinney

11.  Kian Stanton

12.  Logan Raughter

13.  Lucas Green

14.  Lewis Barratt

10.  Isaac Reid

16.  Charlie Mckler

17.  Joseph Bajer

18.  Daniel Coop