Wheelchair Challenge Cup Final: Halifax Panthers 92-24 Leeds Rhinos

Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup Final

Halifax (38) 92

Try: Hawkins 10, Brown 4, O’Neill Goal: Hawkins 16

Leeds (12) 24

Try: Butler 4 Goal: Collins 4

Rob Hawkins scored 10 tries as Halifax Panthers defeated Leeds Rhinos to win their sixth Wheelchair Challenge Cup final and retain the trophy.

The first half was dominated by Leeds’ Josh Butler and Halifax’s Hawkins, who both registered a pair of tries in a topsy-turvy opening period, while a flowing move allowed Hawkins to complete his hat-trick.

The Panthers continued to pile on the pressure and Jack Brown completed a hat-trick of his own before half-time, while Hawkins scored his fourth try within seconds of the restart.

A free-scoring game continued as Butler scored his third try for Leeds and Brown’s fourth and Finlay O’Neill scored, Hawkins took his tally to 10 and scored a grand final try.

It was their second win for Halifax after defeating London Broncos in last year’s final, while they also won the first four editions of the competition from 2015 to 2018.

Three-time winners Leeds started brightly courtesy of some fine work from Butler, yet the combination of Hawkins and Brown saw Halifax come back to build a 26-point lead at the break.

And that trio continued their dominance in the second half during a match that included 19 tries in total.

Yet it was Hawkins in particular who shocked Leeds, scoring 72 of Halifax’s 92 points in a scintillating display.

Halifax: Boardman, Hawkins, O’Neill, Calcott, Brown, Holmes, Horgan, Holt, Martin.

Leeds: Collins, J Butler, Mulhall, Norfolk, Boyd-Ward, Hills, Halliwell, F Butler, Smith.