Angry Leeds Rhinos fans slam George Williams 'dive' after Warrington Wolves' semi-final win

Rhinos were beaten 14-12 by Warrington in a tense Betfred Super League semi-final which was decided by an Ewan Irwin penalty goal 15 minutes from time. Referee Chris Kendall and video official Liam Rush ruled Williams had been obstructed by Leeds’ James McDonnell, but our panel are adamant the Wolves man took a dive. Here’s their thoughts on a tough end to a positive season for Rhinos.

KATIE MARCZYNSKI

Hope is a funny thing. Heading into last week I was genuinely hopeful we’d reach the Grand Final. I knew it’d be tough, but given our strong record against them already this season, I felt we could beat Warrington.

As the week unravelled - losing Ash Handley and Jack Bird and then Maika Sivo - I became less hopeful. By the time I heard Chris Hankinson hadn’t made it through the warm up, all hope had gone and I was looking forward to simply enjoying the last game of the season.

At half time, hope had crept back in. Our young players stood up and we surpassed all expectations, which is probably what made the result even more devastating.

I’d begun to believe we might just do it, but it wasn't to be. A soft penalty which should never have stood and that was that. Maybe it’ll be Warrington's year, but let’s hope not. For next weekend only, we’re all Wakefield aren’t we?

This week, rivalries will be put to one side as Sir Kevin Sinfield embarks on his seventh and final challenge. I’m sure the rugby league community will be out in full force to cheer him on and raise money in support of the MND Association and our Rob Burrow.

TOM GOLDSWORTHY

In what was a disappointing end to a promising season, defeat by Warrington ended our 2026 campaign a week earlier than was hoped for. Any team would have struggled after losing key players in the build up to the match and if we had those players fit it might have been a different story. However, the youngsters that stepped up and played did the team proud and it was a much closer affair than I was anticipating beforehand.

It would be impossible not to talk about the key decision which decided the outcome of the game. I do not like bashing the referee as I feel it is a copout reaction to a defeat, but I am still not sure how Chris Kendall and the video ref came to the conclusion James McDonnell made any sort of challenge on George Williams that caused him to go down like he'd been shot.

McDonnell does not move towards Williams or even look in his direction, so how can it be called foul play? In a close game like that, with both teams giving it their all, it is close margins like that which decide the result and it’s a shame it was decided by what some might say was an act of cheating.

While our young stars stood up to the task and performed admirably, it was the same old story where our so-called big players did not perform when needed.

Brodie Croft on his day could easily be the best player in the league, but once again he went missing when it mattered. This has been his best season in a Rhinos shirt, but it counts for nothing if he goes missing when we need him the most.

Another player I thought let us down was Mikolaj Oledzki. He has been poor for a few weeks and this continued on Friday night. I hope he does well in Australia, but if that’s how he performs when the going gets tough, I imagine it won’t be long before he’s home.

IAIN SHARP

For the second successive year, Leeds have declined the opportunity to spend a rainy Saturday evening in west Manchester at the Grand Final. For Leeds, when the season’s injuries came they arrived thick and fast and, like that Mancunian drizzle, at just the time you least wanted them. Already looking distinctly makeshift going into the semi-final with Warrington, the night was summed up by Chris Hankinson pulling up in the warm up.

The game hinged on that controversial George Williams incident. Regular readers will be expecting me to call it using some pithy, slightly edgy metaphor and will be disappointed to read that I’ve decided only to say Williams went down faster than the London Stock Exchange.

Probably the main positive from the defeat was that those upcoming kids who were thrown in at the deep end of the biggest game of the season all stood up, which bodes well for the future - apart from the one off to Wakefield - and the large-scale rebuilding required for the team before next year.

DAVID MUHL

My personal opinion is we were cheated in this game. With 15 minutes to go Leeds were penalised under their posts when George Williams ran into James McDonnell and then did a dramatic dive that Tom Daley or Neymar would have been proud of.

To be fair to Warrington they tackled like demons and Leeds could not break them down at all in the second half. It was a cruel way to lose and Leeds had the best of the first half, scoring two good tries. The second one in particular, started and finished by Jake Connor, was out of the top drawer.

It was always going to be a difficult game for Leeds with the injury list we had, but you could not fault the young lads who came in. They all put in a great effort and the future looks rosy. Ned McCormack showed what a great player Wakefield have got for next season - I think he will be a great asset to them, along with Cam Smith. The future is looking good for Leeds with 11 of the 17 on show coming through the academy. I’m already looking forward to next season when hopefully we can go one better.

I usually say I don’t mind too much if we’re beaten by a better team as long as we put in a decent performance and we did on Friday. I am glad Wakefield won their semi-final - I really don’t want Warrington to win the Grand Final as cheating should not be rewarded, but I truly hate Wigan, so at least I’ve got someone to cheer for.

BECKY OXLEY

I had been anticipating this match throughout the week and the anxiety was overwhelming. With second place facing third, victory would not come easily. The encounter promised to be thrilling, fast-paced, and competitive and I expected the final score to be tight enough that either team could have prevailed.

My pre-match routine of consuming a McDonald’s strawberry shake and at least one bag of sweets proved challenging as my stomach was tied in knots. Since I sell programmes before the match, I arrive at the stadium by 5pm and the palpable tension was evident throughout the ground and among supporters entering the gates.

Despite having several key players unavailable, we performed exceptionally well. The younger players demonstrated their capability in a significant fixture and the match was competitive throughout. It was a semi-final that neutral observers would have appreciated.

The decisive moment was a penalty that, regardless of how many times I review it, was never justified and diminished what had been an excellent match. This assessment is not merely because I support the Rhinos, but because the decision was indefensible. George Williams deliberately engaged with James McDonnell and clearly understood the consequences of his actions. I have reviewed the incident repeatedly and it is unmistakably obvious.

Regardless, it was not to be, but I am genuinely proud to be a Rhino this season. We have demonstrated outstanding rugby throughout the campaign and I am already anticipating the 2027 season. I extend my gratitude to all departing players - you have each contributed meaningfully during your tenure and will be greatly missed.