Selby Warriors ARLC will go into tomorrow night’s York & District Cup final in buoyant mood confident of turning over hosts New Earswick All Blacks and completing a trophy treble.
The Warriors might have been pipped to the Pennine League division three title but they won promotion and collected the league’s Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy, and last week they lifted the Selby Cup to complete a club hat-trick on the day – the Warriors ‘A’ team having taken the plate trophy and the under-13s the junior final.
Victory tomorrow will also see Selby retain the York cup having beaten New Earswick 26-18 in last year’s final.
All Blacks coach Simon Baynes, who will choose his line-up at training tonight, is set to field a mix of first-team and ‘A’ team players, similar to the side that beat York Acorn in the semi-final.
Their first team play three tiers above Selby, and they will also have home advantage at White Rose Avenue, but spokesman Phil Pallister reckons the Warriors are favourites.
“We’ll need to be on top of our game to take the cup from Selby who have had a great season,” he said. “Knowing Selby, they will not let go of the cup easily so it should be a great match. Home advantage will count for little but All Blacks at their best can pull this off.”
The final kicks off at 7.15pm, after a curtain-raiser between New Earswick U13s and Selby U13s at 6pm. Admission is £3 adults and £1 pensioners and under-16s. Presentations after the games will be made by the new Lord Mayor, Coun David Horton. All York and District RL officials are asked to attend.
The Selby & District finals day, held at Sherburn, saw the Warriors ‘A’ beat Northallerton Stallions 42-32 in their final, with Nick Weaver scoring the last try to seal victory, and their U13s beat fellow new team Sherburn Bears U13s 44-14 in the first-ever junior final. Connor Jordan shone for Sherburn, with loose-forward Lewis Helstrip the man of the match for the young Warriors, for whom full-back Simon Billingsley and forward Frank Sherman also shone.
The first team then took centre stage to beat Brotherton Bulldogs 42-20 in the main event to lift the Andy Wells Memorial Trophy for a third successive year.
The game started at a frenetic pace, and it was only 12-6 at the interval, Selby coming from behind to lead thanks to tries from captain Wayne Fennell and barnstorming man-of-the-match Jason Roberts.
But Brotherton tired in the second half, and, even though the excellent Steve Ramsey did every thing he could to keep them in the game, Selby went clear, with a try by Justin Priest, not long after he was held up over the line by Ramsey, setting them on their way.
Roberts completed a hat-trick and, although Brotherton fought back to 30-20, Selby turned on the style to score further tries by big men Mark Hanson and Jon Broadhurst as the tackles fell away. Gavyn Lightowler added all seven conversions to seal the triumph.
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