A thrilling season of Physical Disability Rugby League got the finale it deserved at Belle Vue Sports Village in Manchester on Saturday (September 10), as Leeds Rhinos were crowned champions after a golden point victory over Wakefield Trinity.
After two play-off eliminators, the 5th place play-off was contested between Castleford Tigers and Bradford Bulls – the Tigers ran out 16-8 winners after tries from Ricky Fisher and Ryan Lazenby.
The action continued with a 3rd place play-off between Wigan Warriors and two-time champions Warrington Wolves.
Wigan beat Castleford in the opening game of the day but just fell short against table-toppers Wakefield, whilst Warrington lost a gripping semi-final against Leeds Rhinos after winning their first eliminator against Bradford.
It was an electric start from Wigan, as Craig Davies ran through early on to open the scoring – this set the tone as Wigan remained in control and ran out 26-6 winners, after a fantastic consolation try in the final seconds getting Warrington on the board.
The festival came to a close with a Grand Final clash between Wakefield Trinity and Leeds Rhinos, a fitting matchup as the sides came into the weekend in first and second place respectively.
Wakefield triumphed in their semi-final with a 14-10 win over Wigan Warriors, in a closely-fought out game that went right to the very end.
Leeds were also involved in a thrilling semi-final, as they beat Warrington 16-6 to book their place in the final.
It was the League Leaders who struck first, as Reynolds went under the posts after a slick break from Trinity, but a quick response from England Lions captain Scott Gobin saw his Rhinos side back on level terms. It was a cagey encounter throughout, and the teams headed to golden point after being all square after 25 minutes.
It took less than a minute for Leeds to break the deadlock and make it 6-10, as Ryan Owens burst through to win it for the Rhinos and be crowned PDRL Champions, sparking wild celebrations on the touchline.
Reflecting on yet another successful day of PDRL Festival action, Chris Godfrey, RFL Social & Inclusion Manager, said: “We capped off what has been an amazing PDRL season today – a memorable festival that embodied everything the sport has been about this year and illustrated the huge strides that have been made.
“Every club involved, along with the effort and contribution of their foundations, should be so proud after days like today, when the progress being made is really on show.
“A massive congrats to Leeds Rhinos as well, of course – they’ve been fantastic this year and are deserved champions.
“It’s all eyes on the PDRL World Cup now as we look forward to seeing the sport being played at International level in November, before we return for a domestic PDRL season bigger and better than ever in 2023!â€
