2024 Super League Grand Final preview
Strap yourself in for Super League’s biggest night of the year as Wigan Warriors take on Hull KR at Old Trafford for the right to be crowned champions.
This game should be a blockbuster, so let us take you through who and what to look out for.
Wigan Warriors recent history
The Warriors currently hold all four trophies – Super League, World Club Challenge, League Leaders Shield and the Challenge Cup – so they’ll start the Grand Final as favourites.
They sealed the League Leaders Shield with a 64-0 win over Salford in the final round of the regular season, but the job was effectively done two weeks earlier when they beat their Grand Final opponents 24-20 to put one hand on the shield.
As for Grand Final appearances, this weekend will see Wigan play in their 13th, which leaves them just one short of rivals St Helens, and a win would be their seventh in the Super League era.
In terms of big game experience, the Warriors also have the edge on their opponents, having appeared in two finals already this season. They started the year with a 16-12 win over Australian giants Penrith Panthers in the World Club Challenge, and beat Warrington Wolves 18-8 in the Challenge Cup Final a few months later.
Hull KR recent history
This weekend marks the Robins’ first ever Super League Grand Final, so they’ll come into the game as clear underdogs.
That said, they’ve been building nicely towards this for a few years, and the Grand Final is a culmination of all the hard work that’s taken place at the club on and off the field in recent years.
Last year saw them reach their first Challenge Cup Final since 2015, while this year they only narrowly missed out on the League Leaders Shield to Wigan by two points.
A 24-20 defeat to the Warriors in round 25 effectively stopped them from finishing top of the table. However, they won their final two games of the regular season to keep the pressure on this weekend’s opponents and keep Warrington at bay in the battle for 2nd.
Head-to-head in 2024
As mentioned, the round 25 clash between the two was effectively a decider to see who finished top, and it was Wigan who prevailed that night. Rovers had two players sin-binned as well, which played its part in the final result, but they proved themselves more than a match for the home side.
In the first meeting of the sides in 2024, it was Rovers who came out on top, 26-10 at home, but there was a third meeting this year as well, sandwiched between the two league fixtures.
That took place in May when Wigan picked up a convincing 38-6 win in the Challenge Cup semi-final to secure their place at Wembley.
How they got here
As league leaders, Wigan got a week off after the regular season finished, and last weekend they certainly looked fresh in their 38-0 semi-final demolition of Leigh Leopards.
Super League’s top try scorer in 2024, Liam Marshall, bagged a brace in that game, while maverick half-back Bevan French scored a wonderful individual try.
And remarkably, that win was Wigan’s third straight nilling of an opponent following a 38-0 win over Leeds Rhinos in round 26 and a 64-0 win over Salford in round 27.
As for the Robins, they also had a week off before their semi-final after finishing 2nd. They had a much tougher task last weekend, as they narrowly edged past Warrington Wolves 10-8 in a gutsy display.
Joe Burgess and James Batchelor scored the tries for Rovers, although Burgess’ effort was somewhat dubious.
Wigan Warriors team news
The Warriors have named an unchanged squad from last week’s semi-final win over Leigh Leopards. Liam Farrell has been named, although he’s a doubt having missed the Leigh game.
If he doesn’t make it then Sam Walters is likely to get the nod to play in the back row after scoring two tries last weekend.
Brad O’Neill remains a long term absentee for the Warriors.
Wigan Warriors player to watch
Junior Nsemba has had a breakout season for the Warriors and was deservedly named Super League’s Young Player of the Year earlier this week.
The 20-year-old has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet in 2024, and recently signed a new six-year contract to stay with the club.
Hull KR player to watch
Mikey Lewis has taken his game to another level in 2024, and fully deserved his Steve Prescott Man of Steel award earlier in the week.
Last weekend saw him make his 100th appearance for Rovers, and if they can get the win at Old Trafford this weekend, then he’ll be a big reason why.
Hull KR team news
The headline news for Rovers is that captain Elliot Minchella is back after suspension. He missed the last game of the regular season and the play-off win over Warrington, so he’ll be fresh for this one.
Former Wigan centre Oliver Gildart is unavailable through injury, and Minchella replaces him in the Robins’ only change from last week’s squad. Jack Broadbent is likely to take Gildart’s spot in the centres again after performing brilliantly against Warrington last weekend.
Our prediction – Wigan Warriors 22-12 Hull KR
I can just see Wigan’s big game experience proving too much for the Robins in this one. Rovers have done brilliantly to get here, and fully deserve their place in the Grand Final, but they’re underdogs for a reason.
They’ll have to be at their best to win this, but I can see Wigan pulling away from them to claim a win by +6.
