2024 Grand Final WIGAN v HULL KR

[josie andrews]

The remarkable stats that show where Wigan Warriors beat Hull KR

Bevan French was dubbed a ‘game-winner’ by many after his incredible try helped Wigan Warriors beat Hull KR but match stats have pointed in a different place to where exactly the Grand Final was won.

Of course, French’s score was pivotal with it being the only try in the 9-2 win and there is no doubt that no other player on the field could score such a brilliant four-pointer, however, there’s a strong argument that Wigan Warriors actually won the game in the forward pack.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Wigan Warriors made a handful of signings to bulk out their forward ranks with the major name being Luke Thompson and he was one of those who proved essential to victory over Hull KR.

Tackle stats from the game have now revealed the immense workload put in by four of those in the pack, with their efforts undoubtedly paving the path to victory.

How Wigan Warriors forward pack won the Grand Final

Wigan Warriors would make 411 tackles across the 80 minutes, 32 more than Hull KR did, whilst also missing just 32 which dwarfed Rovers’ 52.

Already, those stats highlight where a game of such fine margins can be won and lost but diving deeper into the tackling numbers of Matt Peet’s most reliable big men is incredibly telling.

Captain Liam Farrell, loose forward Kaide Ellis, star signing Luke Thompson and starting prop Ethan Havard combined for a whopping 209 tackles, more than half of the total that the entire team put together.

They would miss just 12 between them all night as Peet called on his big men to put in long minutes, tough tackles and hard yards.

The quartet would take in 63 hit-ups between them, again accounting for well over a quarter of Wigan’s total output of 216 carries, as they amassed 417 metres.

Incredibly, Luke Thompson recorded 145 of those with only full-back Jai Field running further, something that can be accounted for the clean break that the Australian worked.

Liam Farrell, who had been a doubt in the week due to an illness, would put in 53 tackles, only eclipsed by loose forward Kaide Ellis who recorded an impressive 56. Only Elliot Minchella (59) made more in the match.

Ethan Havard, who saw his 2023 Grand Final end in tears as he suffered a hamstring injury would make good on his second run-out at Old Trafford with 52 tackles, including an impressive 13 from market showcasing his immense second efforts.

No other Wigan Warriors player made more than 40 tackles, highlighting the shift put in by that quartet of forwards. Perhaps more impressive, given the huge minutes they all played, no errors were committed by any of the four.

Bevan French might have broken the game open but Farrell, Ellis, Thompson and Havard ensured that Hull KR could not break back and in doing so, that quartet of forwards were pivotal in Wigan Warriors lifting the Grand Final trophy.

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/the-rema ... -kr-98099/

[josie andrews]

It was also Ethan Havard’s 100th game for Wigan Warriors on Saturday

[outback wiganer]

Who were the idiots fighting with each other in the Stretford End. It happened about 15 minutes before the end of the game. One of them looked in a right mess. There were kids all around them who looked frightened to death. We certainly don't need this in our game. Morons.

They’ve either got to stop selling alcohol at games or make it an earlier KO, too many idiots at the games now who can’t drink responsibly!

Before the game even started, on the row across from me, someone was sick & vomited all over two people in front one a child!

Four paramedics had to come & see to the drunken person who had now collapsed! He ended up being chair lifted out of the ground, a young man, absolutely paralytic! Disgusting!

Then the cleaners had to come & clean all the sick, shit & piss he left in that row!

There were Hull KR fans in front of us. Two of them, probably in their 50's, who were steroid upto their eyeballs, just wanted to pick fights with young Wigan fans in the next block to us, very tough of them, hardly watching the game at all. Continually up and down getting drinks.

[ian.birchall]

I have a friend who supports t'Rhinos. He is a rugby league supporter who sees and understands all the game whoever is playing. He texted me after the MOTM announcement, whilst seeing that Bevan scored the games only try, the award should have gone to either Thompson or Havard who were absolutely immense he thought.

[Beryl O'Neill]

Smith or French for me excellent kicking from Smith

[Wigan_forever1985]

Liam Farrell - 96 metres, 15 carries, 53 tackles (12 from marker)
Kaide Ellis - 96 metres, 18 carries, 56 tackles (6 from marker)
Ethan Havard - 80 metres, 13 carries, 52 tackles (13 from marker)
Luke Thompson 145 metres, 17 carries, 48 tackles (10 from marker)

For me this is where the game was won. Obviously French gets the glory and why not, he's a special talent and the try was sublime. However, we smothered Rovers in defence to the point where they never looked like scoring from open play at all.

The work rate and the effort from the 4 players above was phenomenal. I think it was the full 80 from Ellis and around 76 minutes from Thompson. High energy and relentless all game.

I want to single out Ethan Havard though. He produced those numbers in 54 minutes, so over a quarter of a game less than the other 3, which shows just how hard he was working while on the pitch. I also included marker tackles because that's a good indicator of work rate and intensity in defence as marker tackles are pretty much always repeat tackles. He topped the charts for both teams. He was absolutely everywhere in defence and didn't give the Rovers forwards an inch. After the heartbreak of last year it's only fair he gets massive praise for that performance.

And of course, Liam Farrell putting in that performance having just recovered from a virus. Whoever was on our right edge was going to have a hell of a job to do with the threats Rovers have on that side, particularly Mikey Lewis. A captains performance if ever there was one.

Further credit should also go to Adam Keighran, who had his best game defensively and has ended this season in really strong form. It was always going to be difficult adapting to playing on the right instead of the left but he's got better and better as the year has gone on.

The defensive effort, and the mammoth effort from the forwards then allowed Smith to do what he does best, which is get us into the right positions on the field, pin Rovers back when the chance arises and relieve the pressure on us when things are tough.

one of the images that stuck in my head was towards the end of the match probably last 10mins or so we were in our 20 and the camera showed our line at the play of the ball and a lot of the players looked shattered and Kade Ellis had his hand up requesting the ball - the only one in the line doing so at the time and took a great drive.

Ellis for me has been as important as anyone else this season and i think that image was befitting of someone in a Wigan 13 jersey