THINGS are coming to the crunch for Warrington Wolves Women.

With the Championship League Leaders’ Shield in the bag and a play-off semi-final at The Halliwell Jones Stadium to look forward to, the team has a real chance of putting a smile back on the faces of Wire fans following the failure of the men’s team to advance past the first round of the Super League play-offs.

> Halliwell Jones Stadium to host Wire Women's play-off semi final

The team deserves its day in the spotlight – they have lost only two games all season, one of which was in the Challenge Cup to eventual winners Leeds Rhinos.

A remarkable achievement for a group of women in their first season of playing together.

“I’m so proud of all the girls and all the staff that have been there all year,” head coach Lee Westwood said.

“When we did start, our goal was to be in the top four and be challenging at the business end of the season.

“They’ve just got better and better as the weeks have gone on. It’s credit to the hard work they are putting in.”

Warrington Guardian:

The Wire Women have lost just twice this season – their opening league fixture at Barrow and a Challenge Cup match against eventual winners Leeds Rhinos. Picture by Mike Boden

While they may have preferred to secure the Shield on the pitch – their past two fixtures against Hull FC were cancelled – nothing can be taken away from their achievements this year.

Led by experienced players such as skipper Roxy Murdoch and England internationals Dani Bound and Michelle Davis, many of this group had not played rugby league before coming together for trials late last year.

Before the business end of the season comes, however, there is still a job to do.

The Wire Women have one more regular season match to play – and they will find themselves in a strange scenario.

They travel to Huddersfield Giants – the team they will face in the semi final – on Sunday, kick off 2pm.

While the temptation would be to keep their powder dry, Westwood wants to use this fixture to rebuild cohesion in his side, who have been desperately short of action of late.

Warrington Guardian:

Warrington Wolves Women head coach Lee Westwood. Picture by Mike Boden

“It is a funny one, but we want to get some consistency,” he said.

“We haven’t played in the past two weeks while Huddersfield have had games.

“The girls have been training really hard – they were up on the hills doing some running on Sunday when we should have had a game.

“We just need to get them back on the field and playing again.

“If we can get that consistency on Sunday and put a bit of a performance together, it will lift us for the play-offs.”

The Wire Women’s play-off semi final is set to take place on Sunday, October 6.

Should they win, they will contest the Championship final on Saturday, October 12 – the same day as the men’s Super League Grand Final – at the Manchester Regional Arena for a place in the Women’s Super League.