engage Super League XV Grand Final Review

Engage Super League XV Grand Final review by Simon Reuben

St Helens 10
Tries: Dickson, Meli
Goals: Foster (1 from 2)

Wigan Warriors 22
Tries: Gleeson 2, Goulding, Sam Tompkins
Goals: Richards (2 from 3), Riddell (1 from 3), Sam Tompkins (0 from 1)

Attendance: 71,526 played at Old Trafford Manchester

Harry Sunderland Trophy Winner: Thomas Leuluai

Wigan Warriors claimed their second Super League title as they handed out a fourth successive Grand Final defeat to St Helens.

For 13 out of 15 Grand Finals the top two battled it out for the big prize.

Meeting in a Grand Final for the first time since 2000, the two great Lancashire rivals St Helens and Wigan locked horns and with one win a piece in the regular season the game was too close to call.

It has been 12 years since Wigan one the inaugural Grand Final but they flew out of the blocks and took the game to St Helens. A mistake from Sia Soliola gave the Warriors possession and they swiftly threw through the ball out wide and ex Saint Martin Gleeson scored the opening try of the Final.

With their tails up Wigan added another shortly after. A sweeping move led to Gleeson strolling over for his second of the game and with points machine Pat Richards adding on the extras, the Warriors led 10-0.

It got even better for Wigan as they moved further ahead after Daryl Goulding crossed out wide and with the touchline conversion from Richards the scored moved up to 16-0.

Finally Saints got some ball and after a penalty they got into the Wigan twenty for the first time in the game and some good work by Jon Wilkin led to Andrew Dickson giving St Helens a lifeline. Jamie Foster tagged on the goal to cut the gap to 16-6.

Just before the interval Wigan suffered a blow when Richards was helped off the field with an Achilles tendon injury.

Early into the second half Wigan came close to adding to their score but man-of-the match Thomas Leuluai was denied as he had the ball stolen from him. But with Richards off the pitch Mark Riddell could not add on the penalty goal.

St Helens came close and two occasions to score but Paul Wellens who made a break was denied by a Sam Tompkins tackle. Minutes later Wilkin knocked on with the line open and it looked that it was not gone be Saints