The 2012 Stobart Super League Final was a classic and lived up to expectations. As Leeds claimed their sixth crown in the last nine years and second in a row where they have come from the lower edge of the playoffs to see off this years Challene Cup winners.
Right from the first whistle we could see we had two sides who had high expectations and as soon as the fourth minute Warrington Wolves were on the score sheet as a high kick was not dealt with by Leeds Rhinos and Richard Myler went over to score.
Brett Hodgson added the extras 6-0. On eleven minutes we thought Leeds had their first, but the final pass was adjudged as forward so scrum Warrington. Nineteen minutes and Leeds man of the match and skipper Kevin Sinfield
scored a scintillating try which had started with a kick ahead on the halfway line, it was tapped back by Warrington and Ablett pinched it for Leeds passing on to Sinfield to dot and and then add the extras 6-6. Twenty-five minutes and a penalty by Sinfield saw Leeds into the lead for the first time 6-8. This was extended on twenty-eight minutes when Ben Jones-Bishop crashed through some weak tackles following a penalty. Even though it was out wide Sinfield added the extras to take it out to 6-14. The last ten of the first half and Warrington marched back, first with a try out wide thanks to a Briers wide pass outflanking narrow Leeds defence Joel Monaghan the beneficiary with Hodgson adding the extras it closed to 12-14. Right on the half-time hooter Leeds infringed and Hodgson stepped up to level it at 14-14.
The second period was only a minute old when a nasty clash of heads would have taken a lesser man than Kevin Sinfield from the field. However it was Warrington who posted the first points of this period as a neat blindside move saw Ryan Atkin go over . The wide kick proved to much for Hodgson so Warrington led 18-14.
As we came into the last quarter of the match Leeds made the crucial breakthrough and Carl Ablett who had worked tirelesly all afternoon got his just rewards and Sinfield added the extras to put Leeds back in front 18-20. The game continued to ebb and flow between the respective goal lines but it was Leeds who were looking the more dangerous and on the seventy-second minute they put the game out of reach as Ryan Hall dotted down from a Ablett pass. Sinfield added the extras to take his haul for the day to fourteen and we had the final score of:
Warrington Wolves 18-26 Leeds Rhinos
Scorers
Warrington
Tries: Myler, J Monaghan, Atkins
Goals: Hodgson 3
Leeds
Tries: Sinfield, Jones-Bishop, Ablett, Hall
Goals: Sinfield 5
Teams
Warrington: Hodgson; Riley, Ratchford, Atkins, J Monaghan; Briers, Myler; Harrison, Higham, Hill, Westwood, Waterhouse, Grix.
Replacements: Cooper, M Monaghan, Wood, Morley.
Leeds: Hardaker; Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Ablett, Hall; McGuire, Sinfield; Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Delaney, Bailey.
Replacements: Kirke, Lunt, Ward, Griffin.
Attendance: 70,676.
Referee: Richard Silverwood.