Leeds Rhinos 84-66 Medway Dragons
Leeds Rhinos and Halifax will contest the Wheelchair Challenge Cup Final in Huddersfield on August 12 after safely progressing through their semi-finals this weekend.
Leeds, last year's beaten finalists, were faced with a stern test in the shape of Medway Dragons on home turf on Saturday.
The all-Premier League affair went the way of underdogs Medway early on, as Joe Coyd and Martin Lane helped themselves to tries, seeing Medway go 16 points up inside ten minutes.
But Leeds got themselves on the scoresheet when James Simpson and Tom Halliwell both scored their first tries of the game, closing the gap.
The Dragons then got themselves ten points up again as Adam Barnett scored his first try of the game, followed by a second try each for Coyd and Lane.
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Leeds took the game back to the Dragons at the end of the first half when Simpson, Nathan Collins and Josh Butler all scored a try each, to give the Rhinos a slender six-point lead to close out an entertaining first half.
The Rhinos flew out of the traps in the second half, adding three early tries through England internationals Jodie Boyd-Ward and Sebastian Bechara.
But the Dragons were not finished yet; Lane, Coyd and Barnett amongst the tries reduce the gap back to 12 points with just over 20 minutes left to go.
But the Rhinos further extended their lead as Simpson and Halliwell both found gaps in the Dragons' defensive line to score three tries to extend the gap back to 26 six points.
Despite three late tries for the Dragons through Coyd, Lane and Sebastian Groves, the Rhinos finished the game with a try each for Halliwell and Simpson, winning an enthralling game by 84-66 to seal their spot in the Challenge Cup Final.
Dundee Dragons 12-72 Halifax RLFC
In the second semi-final, held on Sunday, holders Halifax headed north to take on second tier Dundee Dragons, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, who were playing in their first Challenge Cup semi-final.
Despite a valiant effort from the home side Halifax, led by the impressive Jack Brown, were on top throughout in a 72-12 win.
Fax got on top early on with Brown kicking drop goals after a flurry of tries, while the pacey Nathan Mulhall produced a Man of the Match performance.
Robert Hawkins and Gavin Dobson were also on the scoresheet in the first half, but Dundee continued to fight and got their reward as Ronny Robb scored after 42 minutes, Ian McKeen adding the extras.
David was in today's @Evening_Tele talking about the @WheelchairRL World Cup. Can you help him get there? https://t.co/aRxvZFRPlk pic.twitter.com/DNhm7W5kga
— Dundee Dragons WRL (@DundeeWRL) July 3, 2017
That home score seemed to close the game up as both defences got on top, Dundee doing well to disrupt Halifax, while creating a number of chances themselves - Dundee's star man David Birtles at the heart of most things the hosts did well.
It took half an hour for the game's next score, with Halifax finally bagging a converted second-half try, before McKeen converted a second Dundee try to round off the hosts' scoring on 77 minutes.
As fatigue set in for the home side, 'Fax managed two more tries in the drying minutes to close out an entertaining affair and win 72-12.
The 2017 Wheelchair RL Challenge Cup Final
Saturday, August 12
1pm kick off
FREE entry
Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Spring Grove St, Huddersfield, HD1 4BP
