An unbelievable second half performance saw Leeds Rhinos book their place in the Betfred Super League Grand Final with a 20-8 win over Wigan Warriors at the DW Stadium.

Rohan Smith welcomed back Bodene Thompson to the Rhinos lineup as the prop joined the bench. As both Morgan Gannon and Rhyse Martin missed the clash through injury and suspension, Zane Tetevano was moved into the back row but the squad was largely unchanged from the side that overcame Catalans the week before.

The first half was dominated by the home side but the Rhinos did well to stay in the match.

Despite an early knock on from Brad Singleton setting Wigan back from kick off, Matt Peet’s side recovered to push downfield with ease. The Warriors also managed to get a break when they charged down Austin’s fifth tackle kick but desperate defence kept the score at 0-0.

Finally the home side’s pressure paid off as Liam Marshall got the opening score. A nice swing to the right edge, orchestrated by Thomas Leuluai and Jai Field, saw Wigan catch Leeds short on numbers and Marshall had a straightforward finish in the corner, despite the video referee taking a second look.

The pressure kept mounting on Leeds as the Cherry and Whites had chance for more points. A penalty against the Rhinos for being offside from the scrum saw Harry Smith point for the posts, but the half back couldn’t convert and the score remained at 4-0.

Field was causing problems all over the pitch but it was from the full back’s kick that Leeds had their best chance of the half. Former Wigan player Hardaker took Field’s kick in and the centre raced away downfield. Although he was caught, shortly after a high shot on Austin saw the Rhinos choose to go for two with half time looming. Hardaker stepped up to kick the two and send the teams into the break with Leeds clinging onto Wigan’s coat tails by two points.

 

Leeds fans may have expected more of the same in the second half but the Rhinos turned the game on its head with a spectacular performance over the next 40 minutes.

Five minutes into the new half, Jarrod O’Connor gave the visitors their first lead of the night with a well worked try. Starting back by their own goal line, a great hit on Leuluai dislodged the ball and Leeds mercifully took the ball in. With Bodene Thompson starting strong off the bench, the prop joined Zane Tetevano with great drives for the line and as the latter played the ball, O’Connor was there to pick it up quickly and scoot over.

Now in full flow, nothing was stopping the Rhinos as they scored back to back tries. Camped on the Warriors’ line on the last, Aidan Sezer dropped a kick grubber kick into the in goal area but as Wigan were unable to clear it, James Bentley came steaming in and collected the ball to score an important try in the match. Hardaker’s conversion took the lead to ten points but there was still 30 minutes remaining.

Another major moment in the match swiftly followed. Off the back of Bentley‘s first try, John Bateman was shown a red card for a late and dangerous hit on Sezer as the half back kicked away on the last tackle. Leeds couldn’t punish the twelve man Wigan defence but the fans in blue and amber could tell that the game had taken a shift.

Marshall tried to get Wigan back in the match but had his try attempt chalked off as it was clear on the replay that he had lost the ball trying to ground it. The winger also nearly put Field in for what would have been a great try but Richie Myler held his composure and made a brilliant tackle on his opposite number.

Leeds introduced captain Kruise Leeming off the bench and the hooker was finding gaping holes around the back of Wigan’s markers. He was instrumental in holding the Warriors by their own try line and also in Bentley’s second try, which came with 15 minutes remaining. From a darting run by Austin, Leeming’s pass for Smith was touched by a Wigan player and although the referee waved the tackle count back to one, the Leeds loose forward timed his pass to perfection to put Bentley over and start the celebrations among the Rhinos fans.

Sam Powell ended some Wigan pressure with a try as the clock continued to wind down and although Tom Briscoe thought he’d grabbed a score late, Leeds fans were sent into pandemonium on the full time whistle as the Rhinos sealed their place back at Old Trafford for the first time in five years.