Peerless Panthers maul Leeds Rhinos to retain Challenge Cup crown

The triumph marks another outstanding start to the season for the Panthers whose Challenge Cup success means they remain the only unbeaten side across both competitions.

It was a memorable afternoon for player of the match Rob Hawkins, who contributed a remarkable 72 of Halifax’s 92 points with an outstanding individual display.

Leeds made a strong start, opening the scoring through Josh Butler with Nathan Collins adding the conversion.

Hawkins quickly levelled the contest at 6-6 and the scores remained tied until the 18th minute when Butler crossed for his second try to restore the Rhinos’ lead.

Halifax responded immediately as Hawkins crossed for his second before adding a penalty to edge the Panthers ahead at 14-12.

He completed his first half hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining before the break, missing the conversion for the first and only time in the match.

From that point onwards, the Panthers took control.

Jack Brown finished with four tries while Finlay O’Neill added his name to the scoresheet ten minutes into the second half as Halifax continued on with their ruthless attack.

Leeds refused to give in with Butler finishing the game on four tries after adding two more second-half scores, both converted by Collins.

However, with Butler accounting for all of the Rhinos’ tries they struggled to match Halifax’s relentless pace and clinical decision-making for much of the contest.

Hawkins capped a phenomenal individual performance by finishing with ten tries and 16 conversions from 17, earning a deserved player of the match award alongside a second successive Challenge Cup winners’ medal.

Attention now turns to the 2026 Betfred Wheelchair Super League where the Panthers will be aiming to defend the treble they completed in such impressive fashion in 2025.