SGB PREMIERSHIP | HOLDER STARS AS SHEFFIELD SETS UP ACES TITLE SHOWDOWN

Aussie ace Jack Holder racked up 11 paid 13 points as Sheffield Tigers chase their first-ever top-flight title in an SGB Premiership Grand Final showdown with Belle Vue.

The Yorkshire outfit thrashed Wolverhampton 61-29 at Owlerton in the play-off semi-final, second leg to win the tie 108-72 on aggregate.

Aside from a third place behind team mate Lewis Kerr in heat one, Holder enjoyed an almost perfect night to spearhead his side to victory.

He was backed up by a rock-solid team performance as Kerr and Adam Ellis bagged nine paid 11 apiece, while Kyle Howarth collected nine paid 10, Tobiasz Musielak and Connor Mountain recorded eight paid nine each and Justin Sedgmen scored seven.

Delighted boss Simon Stead said: “I’m just ever so proud. The lads have been absolutely phenomenal – they’ve been great to work with all season but they have really stepped it up in recent weeks.

“When you look down the scorecard and look at what they’re all doing, they’re all doing their bit. They’re all hungry for it and they deserve their place in the Grand Final.

“I can’t fault their determination, their effort and their commitment – it has been absolutely second to none. This is a great way to build up to the play-off final, but nothing’s a given and there’s still a lot of hard work to be done.”

Aussie racer Ryan Douglas was Wolves’ top performer on seven paid eight points, with Sam Masters scoring six.

The Tigers now take on a Belle Vue side, spearheaded by world No.5 Robert Lambert, Slovenian star Matej Zagar and former Aussie champion Brady Kurtz.

The Aces host the first leg of the tie in Manchester on Monday, October 10, before Sheffield stages the return leg on Thursday, October 13.

Victory for either side would be an historic moment, as Belle Vue Aces last won a league title in 1993. They already have a record 12 top-division championships and are seeking to extend this to 13. Meanwhile, Sheffield seeks the first top-tier title in the club’s history.

Photo: Taylor Lanning