York Valkyrie secured their spot in the Women's Super League Grand Final following a hard-fought victory against Leeds Rhinos at AMT Headingley Stadium. Led by coach Leon Pryce, the visitors managed a disciplined performance in the play-off semi-final to overcome their opponents in a tense encounter. York will now advance to face the reigning champions, Wigan Warriors, for the ultimate prize of the season.
The visitors established early momentum and capitalized on sustained territorial pressure. England prop Liv Wood broke the deadlock by powering through a trio of defenders to ground the ball near the try line. Stand-off Tara-Jane Stanley added the subsequent conversion and later slotted a penalty kick, giving York a solid advantage heading into the halftime break.
Leeds attempted to mount a comeback after the interval, aided by a series of attacking opportunities. However, the hosts struggled with execution and committed crucial mistakes at key moments, reflecting a difficult run of form toward the end of the campaign. The Rhinos also saw potential scoring efforts overturned by officials, including a disallowed try for Georgia Elliston due to an obstruction by a teammate.
York effectively sealed the outcome in the second half when Stanley delivered a precise pass to set up forward Adaoha Akwiwu for the team's second try. Despite late pressure from Leeds, defensive resilience and a handling error from Ebony Stead prevented the hosts from closing the gap. The victory builds upon York's impressive momentum, which recently included ending Wigan's undefeated streak in the regular season.
The triumph was tempered by a significant personnel loss for the upcoming championship match. Stanley failed a mandatory head injury assessment during the semi-final, ruling her out of the upcoming final at the Brick Community Stadium. Her absence will present a tactical challenge for York, given how instrumental her playmaking and kicking have been since her return from a lengthy injury layoff.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
