Wolfpack lose first match of the season to open Super 8s playoffs

YORK, United Kingdom — The Toronto Wolfpack opened the Super 8s playoffs on Sunday with a 26-16 defeat to the York City Knights.

The Wolfpack, who topped Kingstone Press League 1 in its inaugural season with a 15-0-0 record, had tries from Craig Hall, Bob Beswick and Ryan Brierley en route to their first ever loss.

Toronto, aiming for one of two promotion spots to the second-tier championship, plays eighth-place Workington Town next week in the second round of the Super 8s. 

Sunday’s game saw fourth-place York City roar to a stunning 18-0 lead at half time that proved too much for Toronto to handle. While the Wolfpack came out strong after the break with back-to-back tries in a five-minute span, they couldn’t keep the Knights down.

Hall’s try, his 21st of the season, cut Toronto’s deficit to 20-16 but York’s Connor Robinson restored the 10-point cushion roughly 10 minutes later. Wolfpack winger Jonny Pownall had a try disallowed with five minutes to play.

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Under Rugby Football League rules, the 16-team league is split into two after each team has played the other with the top eight taking part in the Super 8s.

The teams carry forward their regular-season points with the top team after the Super 8s winning automatic promotion. The other promotion spot will be decided via a four-team playoff: No. 2 versus No. 5 and No. 3 versus No. 4, with the winners playing off for the prize.

Toronto entered the Super 8s with a three-point lead over second-place Whitehaven.

In the Super 8s, the top four teams get four home games while the bottom four have three home fixtures.

The Canadian Press