Wigan demolish Leeds to reach first Challenge Cup final
Leeds (0) 14
Tries: Greening, Bryer, Howard Goal: Bennett
Wigan (30) 44
Tries: Davies 2, Wilson, Banks 2, Williams, Veivers, Jones, Rowe Goals: Foubister 4
Wigan Warriors reached the Women's Challenge Cup final for the first time as they demolished two-time winners Leeds Rhinos in York.
Anna Davies went in for Wigan twice inside the opening 10 minutes, while Georgia Wilson, Grace Banks, Megan Williams and Emily Veivers added to the tally by the break.
Things went from bad to worse for Leeds as they lost Bella Sykes to a failed head injury assessment (HIA) and Ruby Walker to an ankle injury.
Molly Jones and Banks picked up where Wigan left off, before Jenna Greening and Tally Bryer got Leeds going.
But Izzy Rowe's score - shortly before Mel Howard's run-in on the hooter - ensured Warriors reached Wembley to play either St Helens or York Valkyrie.
Leeds had won their past 12 meetings with Wigan, including semi-final wins in the past two seasons.
Yet the Warriors quickly justified their pre-match favourites tag as they exploited weakness on the Rhinos left edge to give Davies two early scores in the right corner.
Davies was inches away from a hat-trick before poor defence allowed Wilson to add a third Wigan try.
Player of the match Banks turned on the afterburners to grab the first try of her brace. Williams' close-range effort and burst from Papua New Guinea international Vievers then effectively ended the game before half-time as the Warriors led 30-0.
Jones broke through a couple of tackles to extend the lead and Banks then made it 38-0.
An improved Leeds pulled two scores back in four minutes around the hour mark through Greening and a nice finish from Bryer - the first points Wigan had conceded in their cup run.
Rowe stretched out an arm to score as Wigan responded, before Howard added a try to a superb defensive display to give Rhinos the final word.
Leeds: Stead; Bryer, Greening, Boyd, Whitbread; Howard, Walker; Sykes, Bennett, Northrop, Lacey, Murray, Dainton.
Interchanges: Bruce, Donnelly, Glynn, Short.
Wigan: Banks; Davies, Wilson, Jones, Derbyshire; Foubister, Rowe; Coleman, Wilton, Speakman, Hunter, Power, Williams.
Interchanges: Marsh, Thompson, Casey, Veivers.
Referee: Tara Jones
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