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Louise Thomas
Editor
Wigan and Hull KR are set to bring the curtain down on a stunning Betfred Super League campaign when they contest the Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday night.
Here the PA news agency picks five talking points from a clash between the two clubs that dominated the 2024 campaign.
Quad squad
Wigan head into the Grand Final on the verge of history as they look to become the first club to win all four major trophies in the same season.
Having kicked off with a World Club Challenge win over Penrith in February, Matt Peet’s men also won the Challenge Cup at Wembley, and the League Leaders’ Shield.
Although St Helens and Bradford have also won all four trophies in a 12-month period, they did not do so in the same campaign.
Steely nerve
Rovers’ stellar season was recognised this week with Mikey Lewis being crowned 2024 Man of Steel on Tuesday night and Willie Peters pipping Grand Final counterpart Matt Peet to the Coach of the Year award.
Fast-maturing 23-year-old Lewis has been instrumental in his side’s surge this term, and crucially has held his nerve in pressure-filled games towards the end of the regular season – not least the 24-0 win at Leigh – as Rovers fended off their rivals to secure a crucial top-two slot.
Stat attack
Rovers are only the 10th team to contest a Grand Final since the event was inaugurated in 1998, and the last first-time finalists to win it were St Helens the following year.
Such raw statistics may point to Wigan retaining the trophy, but KR chief Peters has instilled a strong confidence in his side, and their narrow 24-20 loss in the two clubs’ most recent meeting last month – when two untimely yellow cards cost Rovers dear – will boost the underdogs’ belief.
French lesson
Wigan half-back Bevan French has found himself front and centre of the Grand Final build-up after an audacious try capped his side’s crushing 38-0 semi-final win over Leigh.
The Australian has proven to be unplayable in patches, not least because of his unorthodox and unpredictable approach, and the Rovers rearguard will have to find some way to keep him well shackled if they are to optimise their chance of pulling off a famous win.
Crowded house
A crowd in excess of 65,000 is expected at Old Trafford – the biggest for a Grand Final since 2017 – which is testament to the quality of a match-up that has encouraged wider interest in the sport.
As it embarks upon its exciting but challenging IMG era, rugby league must not blow such a valuable and increasingly rare opportunity in the shop window.
Players of the calibre of French and Lewis richly deserve the chance to impress on the biggest possible stage.
