York Valkyrie boss impressed by Tara Jane Stanley's upturn in form

The Valkyrie ended their campaign at the LNER Community Stadium with a comfortable 48-10 triumph over Huddersfield Giants, with the final three matches of the Betfred Women’s Super League season being all on the road.

Director of Rugby Anfield reflected on a cagey campaign for York and admitted that there were improvements to be made moving forward, but remains confident that on their day, the Valkyrie can beat anyone.

“On our day, us, Leeds, Wigan, are all probably fighting for the home semi-final,” Anfield told BBC Radio York.

“Regardless, even if we don’t get that, if we can get all of our players on the pitch and in the right mindset then we can have a good battle with anybody.

“We would back ourselves. We took a lot of confidence from winning the Grand Final to know that we can really do a good job. It’s just a shame that we haven’t had consistency throughout the season to do it.

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“Let’s crack on with Leeds and Wigan, see how we get on, and then it’s all on that one game in the play-offs.

“If we get to the final, 100 per cent we can do a job on anyone.

“It’s been a great season and hence why I am pretty disappointed with how we have played at home, it was a fortress and we hadn’t been beaten here.

“This season, to come off of the back of being Grand Final winners, to not play very well, to not perform and by the girls’ own admission, we probably weren’t 100 per cent switched on for the games where they thought they were going to win.”

“I feel pretty poor about that, but we can crack on and learn our lessons next year.”

Anfield’s side did end their home season on a high with an impressive win over Huddersfield, with the Valkyrie boss pleased by the response from her side to a recent sticky patch of form.

Anfield continued: “I thought it was a good game. We haven’t played very well at home this year to be fair and we wanted to go out with a bang.

“We wanted to play a little bit more clinical rugby and I thought that we did that. It was still a bit clunky going through the field but we did a good job.

Tara Jane Stanley's performance against Huddersfield Giants impressed York Valkyrie boss Lindsay Anfield. (Image: Alan Milner/York RLFC)

“Defensively we were good for about 80 per cent of the game and really solid. There were just a few lapses in concentration from a few individuals that allowed them to get on the scoresheet.

“Credit to Huddersfield, they came and had a dig.”

The performance of Tara Jane Stanley was also a positive talking point from the win over the Giants, with Anfield even holding a conversation with the full-back on her impressive display.

“She’s had some injuries and probably hasn’t been herself this season for different reasons.

“I said to her at half-time ‘you’re back’ and she said ‘yeah, I am, I’ve lost a bit of weight and am a bit quicker now’!

“I thought she was good, just with things like working off the ball and doing little things that the full-backs have to do, that she probably hasn’t done this season for whatever reason, but she did today.

“I think that she’s gotten the rewards off of the back of it.”