Leeds sweat to Super League Grand Final triumph over Wigan
Leeds Rhinos won 22-20 at Old Trafford on Saturday evening, beating Wigan Warriors to claim the Super League title, and an historic treble of trophies.
The Rhinos have swept all before them in 2015, and have now add the Super League trophy to the Challenge Cup and the League Leaguers’ Shield.
The game opened at hurricane pace, both sides scoring converted tries well before the ten-minute mark.
After the scoring and hectic pace of the first quarter, though, the game settled into cagey, tense arm wrestle, what the Australians would call ‘finals footy’.
Moon put Leeds into the lead as the half hour point approached, though it was a controversial effort. The video referee ruled that Danny McGuire did not knock on in the tackle in the lead up to the score.
Many in the crowd, largely of a Cherry and White persuasion, did not agree with him.
McGuire scored a second try before the interval which followed from an Adam Cuthbertson offload in centre field.
Leeds threw the ball wide to Briscoe, who broke incisively, making 15 metres before passing to a looping Watkins, who scorched over the line.
The score was 16-6 to the Rhinos at half-time, and the if Shaun Wane’s half-time rage was as deep as the furrows on his face, then his players would have been in for some harsh words indeed.
Five minutes into the second half it looked as though his words had worked. Dom Manfredi leapt to steal the ball from Ryan Hall on the Wigan right after a deft kick from O’Loughlin.
Bowen converted the try to make it 16-12, and within four minutes he’d crossed between the sticks for a try of his own.
He converted to put the Warriors into a two-point lead with half an hour left on the clock.
On 61 minutes Bowen increased the lead with a well-struck penalty kick to 20-16 to the Warriors.
Josh Walters scored in his first ever play-off try for Leeds to level things up after 64 minutes.
A kick from McGuire to the left edge was kept alive by Moon and then Keinhorst, before the ball reached Walters and the youngster scored. Sinfield converted and Leeds were back in front 22-20.
The last quarter of the game was edge of the seat stuff, as Leeds held on to that lead, and said farewell to their departing legends in the finest way possible.