Wigan v Warrington | Sunday, October 14, 4am (AEST), Old Trafford, Manchester
Wigan and Warrington meet in a reprisal of the 2016 Grand Final, won narrowly by the Warriors.
A committed defensive effort by Shaun Wane’s side helped them see off Castleford 14-0 in the semi-finals after a solid regular season that saw them finish second behind runaway leaders St Helens.
After six years at the helm, the Warriors will be desperate to send the popular Wane out a winner in his final match in charge prior to taking on a role in Scottish rugby.
Warrington, meanwhile, booked their place in the decider after an upset win over Saints.
In one of the more absorbing matches of the season, two second half tries from winger Tom Lineham (pictured above) got the Wolves over the line.
In one of the more absorbing matches of the season, two second half tries from winger Tom Lineham (pictured above) got the Wolves over the line.
After a string of near misses in recent years, Warrington are searching for a maiden Super League title and must fancy their chances with a repeat of last week’s performance.Well known to Australasian audiences after an underwhelming stint with New Zealand, Warriors fullback Sam Tomkins looms as a key figure once again and the Wolves will need to find a way to limit his influence.
Backrower John Bateman also comes off a fantastic season that has earned him a crack at the NRL with Canberra while skipper Sean O’Loughlin can draw on more than 400 appearances with the club and provides calmness and leadership in pressure situations.
For Warrington, expect hooker and former Man of Steel Daryl Clark to have a major say in proceedings while fullback Stefan Ratchford can be frustrating at times but has plenty of class and will threaten the Warriors line.
The Verdict
Wigan hold a 3-2 advantage in matches between the club’s this season, although Warrington were emphatic 23-0 winners in their Challenge Cup semi-final meeting and should draw plenty of confidence out of that.
Wigan have won 3 of the last 8 Super League Grand Finals since 2010 and were runners-up in 2014 and 2015.
Warrington are still chasing their maiden Super League title but have been runners-up on three previous occasions in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
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