LINDSAY ANFIELD believes that “whichever team can hold their nerve” will win Sunday’s decisive clash between York City Knights Ladies and Leeds Rhinos (1pm).

Leaders York head to Headingley Stadium knowing that victory over Leeds would guarantee them a first League Leaders’ Shield in the Betfred Women’s Super League.

Leeds and St Helens, currently second and third respectively, can still take home the silverware though. The pair each have 10 points and rank closely on points difference, with Leeds’ at +212 and Saints’ at +199, ahead of their trip to Wigan Warriors. York sit on 12 points and boast a +176 points difference.

Playing at one of Betfred Super League’s largest stadiums in front of The Sportsman cameras with a decisive victory earning a major trophy, the pressure on both sides will be high.

“It’s going to be a close game and I think it’ll come down to who manages the occasion better,” said York director of rugby Anfield.

“Whichever team can hold their nerve and complete their sets and manage the game better will be the team that probably wins.

“We’ve learned over time that we don’t deal particularly well with pressure. The way we’re looking at it is that this time next week, regardless of what happens on Sunday, we’ll be aiming for a Grand Final win.

“As much as we do have to focus on Sunday and give it everything, at the same time, a week later, we’ll be looking at the Grand Final.”

Leeds’ main threat is likely to come from their talismanic halves Georgia Roche and Courtney Winfield-Hill, both of who have previous international experience.

“Being realistic, looking at both the Leeds and Saints squads, they’ve each got two England half-backs in their teams,” admitted Anfield, with Zoe Harris and Faye Gaskin the Saints playmakers to have represented their nation.

“We’ve got an 18-year-old and a second-rower,” she said of past pair Olivia Gale and Lacey Owen respectively.

“In terms of our ability to control a game and spread the ball, we’re lacking in that department.

“We’ve got to play our rugby, contain them as best as we can before hopefully catching them with our strike players.”

Should York triumph at Headingley, the club would earn their first piece of major silverware in the 13-a-side game, having won the inaugural Women’s Nines last month.

Success would further mark the incredible turnaround in fortunes for the Ladies, who were second-bottom of the BWSL in 2019 but have since become one of the country’s leading sides since the arrival of Anfield and a number of talented players.

“It’d be a huge achievement and testament to the ambition of the club and what they’ve put in place to try and drive women’s rugby league,” said Anfield on the prospect of winning the League Leaders’ Shield.

“It amazes me every time I speak to Clint (Goodchild, chairman) as to how much energy he’s got for the women’s team and how much he’s committed to it.

“It’d also be testament to how much hard work the girls have put in. They’ve all bought into to everything we’ve thrown at them.

“At the beginning of the year, we wanted to better finishing third last year. We also said that we wanted to enjoy our season more than anything.

“If that ends up with us winning a trophy, then what an achievement.”

York will be without winger Margot Canal and centre Anais Fourcroy, as the French internationals joined Hull FC on loan from the Knights.