By Guy Harvey

After Leeds’ Reserves side took home the Reserves Grand Final victory over Warrington last Saturday Chev Walker and his academy side travelled to the Wolves to repeat the face off in the academy Grand Final. But with a brace of tries from Zak Lloyd and a solitary effort form Harley Thomas it would not be another victory for the club.

An early error from Leeds saw a knock on given in the tackle in the Rhinos own twenty giving the Wolves a scrum and an early opportunity. The Wolves capitalised on this opportunity hitting the blind side and with quick hands creating the overlap for winger Cameron Cooper to go over in the left corner untouched with scrum half Ewan Irwin adding the extras to give Warrington a six-point advantage.

Leeds almost replied minutes later with loose forward Presley Cassell going over under the uprights only to be held up before hooker Elliott Fox went close in similar fashion a few tackles later. Leeds looked to break moments later when Oscar Brown travelled from the left edge to the right to make a half break but his offload to winger Marcus Qareqare couldn’t be taken and the ball found touch.

Warrington then extended their advantage, this time opting to go down the right edge and with a delicate grubber kick through second row forward Daniel Coop was quickest to race through and ground the ball, Irwin again adding the extra two points and Warrington were 12-0 ahead midway through the first half.

Leeds hit back minutes later with Zak Lloyd breaking through the Warrington defence and crashing over from close range on the left edge before adding the conversion to his own try and the Rhinos were back in the game. Leeds then went back-to-back when a great cross field kick from scrum half Harry Smith was taken by Zak Lloyd after the second row forward leaped the highest before touching down for the try, again adding the extra two converting his own try and the was all square at 12 all.

Warrington would hit back minutes later when replacement hooker Oliver Morgan went himself from dummy half slicing through the Rhinos defence and beating the full back to score the try with Ewan Irwin adding another conversion and putting the Wolves back in front at 18-12. The home side nudged themselves even further ahead seconds later when Leeds was penalised for a high tackle and Irwin opting for the kick at goal and putting Warrington eight points ahead at 20-12.

With the halftime hooter seconds away from sounding the Wolves would extend their advantage breaking through the Rhinos defence down the middle racing forty metres before offloading to Jake Ramsden to score under the posts allowing an easy conversion for Irwin and the home side had a 26-12 lead at halftime with the young Rhinos a lot of work to do in the second half.

Leeds didn’t start the second half in great fashion knocking the ball on on their own thirty metre line but were let off the hook seconds later when Warrington returned the favour fumbling the ball at the play the ball. However, it was the Rhinos that would score first with winger Harley Thomas squeezing over in the corner with quick hands in the middle spreading the ball to the left quickly and with an exquisite kick from the touchline from Zak Lloyd Leeds were back in the game at 26-18.

Although Leeds scored first, Warrington had certainly started the second half the better team. However, the game became a real arm wrestle for the next twenty minutes both teams defending for their life. But with the game in the balance a rare error from Warrington deep in their own half gave the Rhinos an opportunity and with a scrum play straight from the training ground Harley Thomas looked to squeeze over in the corner again but a last-ditch tackle from Bailey Lund put Thomas in to touch just as he looked to get the ball down with what looked like a game breaking moment.

The pressure began to build on Leeds with the clock ticking down but it only increased when prop forward Joe Butterfield was sent to the sin bin for interference at the play the ball with only 13 minutes remaining. Although Leeds looked to have scored minutes later when Marcus Qareqare juked his way over in the corner only for the referee to disallow his efforts for a double movement and it certainly felt as though the wind had really been taken out of the Rhinos’ sails.

With minutes remaining Leeds were looking dangerous again when centre Jacob Hardy made a break down the right edge before kicking the ball infield which was taken by Presley Cassell with the loose forward looking for an opportunity, but the referee called him offside. But with the final hooter about sound Warrington would score to seal a win when hooker Lucas Mulqueeney squirrelled his way over from close range and scrum half added the conversion to seal a 32-18 win for Warrington.

TEAMS

Warrington Wolves Academy

Lachlan Webster

Bailey Lund

Charlie Walker

Alfie Poles

Cameron Cooper

Junior Westwood

Ewan Irwin

Isaac Holdsworth

Lucas Mulqueeney

Kian Stanton

Daniel Coop

Oliver Bishop

Daniel Regan

Oliver Morgan

Daniel Hackney

Jake Ramsden

Ellis Livesey

Leyton Haddrell

Leeds Rhinos Academy

Wade White

Marcus Qareqare

Jacob Hardy

Oscar Brown

Harley Thomas

George Brown

Harry Smith

Jacob Stead

Elliott Fox

Joe Butterfield

Noah Whittingham

Zak Lloyd

Presley Cassell

Harvey Butterworth

Hughie Tinkler

Dacx Jones-Buchanan

Dax Millington

Tom Richardson