Halifax Panthers withstood a second-half comeback from Leeds Rhinos to win the Wheelchair Super League Grand Final in Manchester.
The Panthers won the opening half of the game against opponents like the Challenge Cup holders and led 36-16 at the half.
Nathan Collins scored a second-half hat trick to increase his total to five goals as Leeds equalised with 42-42.
However, Rob Hawkins scored his fourth and fifth attempts of the game to give Halifax back in the lead as they finished 52-48 winners.
Halifax was last to win the title in 2019 , but was subsequently eliminated in the semi-finals of last season’s championship in the final, as Leeds defeating Leyland Warriors 52-36 in the final.
The Panthers had an early advantage in the National Basketball Performance Centre when England international Hawkins started scoring within the first three minutes.
Leeds responded by scoring scores from England international James Simpson and Collins, however, It was actually the Panthers that took over the first period and scored a treble, with Hawkins scoring two more tries, and France national Jeremy Bourson scoring another.
A fumble with the hooter by Collins The Rhinos were able to close their gap by 20 at half-time.
The Rhinos began the second period well and were dominant throughout the first 20 minutes.
Wales internationally Jodie Boyd-Ward scored the first try, and Collins also scored three additional tries, bringing his total to five for the game as well as a penalty in the wake of an unforgiving challenge by Bourson to tie the score at 42-42 with 8 minutes remaining.
Two more attempts from Hawkins allowed the Panthers some breathing room even as the Rhinos were able to get back on track in the last minute thanks to Josh Butler, Halifax held the fifth championship.
The man of the Match Rob Hawkins:
“It’s been a while since we won the title It’s a huge accomplishment. We are aware that we’re going to need to continue practicing the same way we did to ensure that we can win again.
“I cannot praise the team enough. They performed so well today. They deserve all medals. I’m happy we got it but it was a close one. “
Halifax coach Wayne Boardman:
“They were in the game with momentum, and we had momentum, however, we had a plan to eliminate the mistakes that were not forced.
“We aren’t going to get a better results than we did. There were fluctuations and ups and downs throughout the game. I was aware that we needed to control the ball in play to stop the Rhinos scoring. We needed to stay cool and calm to win the game.
“It was a fun game to be a part of and I’m certain that it was a fun game to watch. “
Leeds coach James Simpson:
“It was a tough game. We had a strategy in place to win the game , and we stuck to it however it was a real disappointment to fall just four points off.
“We did too much work out there. It was all about things such as one miss tackle and we were trying to find the ball.
“I told the players at half-time that the moment you stop making eight-metre restarts, the game will shift, and I suggested that you not to go for deep kicks and instead go to shorts kicks. That was the way we went and the game changed.
“All up to the final minute, I thought we’d win. It’s been a difficult year for our players. Three out of two trophy awards isn’t bad at all. There’s no way to be a winner in every single thing. We faced a tough day today We pushed ourselves to the limit and came up short.”
