Grand Final 2023

[Charriots Offiah]

Superb performance and a wonderful night which cheered me up no end after Wales's exit from the other code's World Cup. It was a hugely professional performance that has clearly got the rest of the league worried and resorting to saying the standard of the league "is terrible" or that rugby league only began in 1996 so St Helens are "still the greatest team ever" or that old lie that because we went professional a few months before some other teams thirty odd years ago none of our success counts etc. etc.

Weirdly, for a game that was so low scoring, from the opening minutes of the second half, I just knew we weren't going to lose. We clearly upped our level after the break and Catalans were always on the back foot from then on. When Liam scored it was all over as they never looked like scoring a try unless we made a huge howler and we just weren't in a place where something like that might happen.

Great to see the Wigan fans giving Sam Tomkins the ovation he deserved. One of the greats.

If we were St Helens (and especially if Chris Kendall was ref) then Bevan French's try from a blatant forward pass would have been given.

Giving Adam Keighran an advance on next year's wages was clearly a smart bit of thinking.

Having watched the game back this morning, my Bill Arthur bingo card was full after about 20 minutes with Croydon Hurricanes and Ethan Havard being born in Bulgaria getting mentions along with several wrong player names and referring to us as Catalans several times. Also enjoyed Tez and Baz criticising us for going for goal for the first penalty only to switch to "You have to take the points in these big games" as Harry put the ball between the sticks.

Finally, huge thanks to Ian Lenagan for everything over the last 16 years. I'll never not support Wigan passionately obviously but he has brought something special back to the club and the last two seasons have been the most I have enjoyed watching Wigan since the 1990s

Great result but a nerve wracking first half! I knew we would win after the first 15 mins of the second half.

A wonderful result for everybody involved but especially Matty and Ian Lenagan.

Really excited for next season!

To be honest, Catalans never looked like scoring and had Wigan taken their chances it could have been a comfortable night for the faithful. Credit to the Cats for sticking at it though, some of their scrambling defence was first class.

[EDINBURGH-WARRIOR]

Drinking in the Stands was allowed last year at the Grand Final and the World Cup Final.

EW

[Barney841]

Cracking win and well deserved.
Think our form has been second to none these last 3 months.
Would of messaged a lot sooner but I’ve been away

[josie andrews]

Cracking win and well deserved.
Think our form has been second to none these last 3 months.
Would of messaged a lot sooner but I’ve been away

It doesn’t matter when or what time you post

[fozzieskem]

Is that new you never used to be able to drink on sight of the pitch at old trafford

Oh trust me plenty of ale inside I don't mind people having a drink but cmon I'm there for the game not to get ratted by the 20 mins mark,and I found the trouble near us wasn't caused by younglings but by blokes who simply should know better.

[josie andrews]

Jake Wardle puts Grand Final heroics down to rediscovering love for game after Huddersfield Giants frustration

Wigan Warriors hero Jake Wardle admits winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy was the furthest thing from his mind when he left Huddersfield Giants under a cloud last year.

The centre scored 22 tries in 64 games in a promising start to life in the Huddersfield first team after graduating from the club's academy.

But Wardle was limited to six appearances in the first half of last season after falling behind Ricky Leutele and Leroy Cudjoe in the pecking order on his return from an injury lay-off and soon found himself on the way out of the John Smith's Stadium.

The 24-year-old was sent out on loan to Warrington Wolves before joining Wigan on a permanent deal despite having 12 months left on his contract.

At the time, Giants boss Ian Watson said: "Sometimes things don’t work out and people have to move."

Wardle has enjoyed a resurgence at Wigan, culminating in a starring role in Saturday's 10-2 Grand Final win over Catalans Dragons.

The England international was named man of the match to add to his Dream Team selection.

Asked whether he could have imagined winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy when he left Huddersfield, Wardle replied: "No I didn't. I didn't really see myself anywhere.

Last year wasn't ideal for myself. I obviously had to go out on loan which was the first real test of my career. Still being young, I probably didn't handle it the best off the field.

"That's in the past now. This year I've found that love for the game again. I'm happy and really enjoying my rugby.

"I'm really grateful for the opportunity Wigan and Matty (Peet) have given me."

Whereas Wardle has reached new heights, Huddersfield struggled on their way to a ninth-place finish in 2023.

Wardle is focused on enjoying a period of prolonged success with Wigan rather than proving a point to his former employers.

"I don't think it's necessarily about that," he said. "It was just about finding that happiness and love for the game again.

"I've got belief in myself and Matty has got belief in me. I had some doubts last year. It was a very inconsistent time for me. When you have to go out on loan and things like that, it's not ideal.

"I've learnt a lot of lessons from it and am really happy to be part of Wigan now. You don't want to think too far ahead but with the group of players we've got here and the trust we've got, we could go on to do something special."

Wardle, who has scored two tries in as many games for England, is hoping he has done enough to be included in Shaun Wane's squad for the series against Tonga.

"There are a few medical checks to be ticked off first," added Wardle. "When you're a kid you want to play in Grand Finals but the pinnacle is representing your country. It's something I want to be part of."

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... on-4372504

[josie andrews]

Footage shows fans fighting inside Old Trafford at SL Grand Final

FOOTAGE has been released of fans fighting inside Old Trafford at the Super League Grand Final over the weekend.

Wigan Warriors did battle with Catalans Dragons in a tense affair that ended in a 10-2 triumph for Matt Peet’s men.

However, there also proved to be tension in the stands, with a fight breaking out in the corner of the East Stand at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ which you can view here. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?stor ... yTmq0&_rdr

Thankfully, it appeared to be just a select few people with those around trying to calm the situation down.

It certainly isn’t a good look for a sport that prides itself on being ‘a family game’ though the vast majority of those inside Old Trafford behaved superbly well.

https://www.totalrl.com/footage-shows-f ... and-final/

[josie andrews]

Leeds or Warrington supporters it looks like, but a lot there without any colours

[the pieman]

Is that new you never used to be able to drink on sight of the pitch at old trafford

Oh trust me plenty of ale inside I don't mind people having a drink but cmon I'm there for the game not to get ratted by the 20 mins mark,and I found the trouble near us wasn't caused by younglings but by blokes who simply should know better.

yep, we were sat at the top of the north stand and virtually everyone walking up to seats with ale. No issues that i saw up where we were, although at the end i think there was someone run onto the pitch and looked like a little bit of scuffling right at the bottom with the stewards

we also had 2 salford lads sat with us , that said there was some trouble further along the North stand with some of their mates

[the pieman]

Superb performance and a wonderful night which cheered me up no end after Wales's exit from the other code's World Cup. It was a hugely professional performance that has clearly got the rest of the league worried and resorting to saying the standard of the league "is terrible" or that rugby league only began in 1996 so St Helens are "still the greatest team ever" or that old lie that because we went professional a few months before some other teams thirty odd years ago none of our success counts etc. etc.

Weirdly, for a game that was so low scoring, from the opening minutes of the second half, I just knew we weren't going to lose. We clearly upped our level after the break and Catalans were always on the back foot from then on. When Liam scored it was all over as they never looked like scoring a try unless we made a huge howler and we just weren't in a place where something like that might happen.

Great to see the Wigan fans giving Sam Tomkins the ovation he deserved. One of the greats.

If we were St Helens (and especially if Chris Kendall was ref) then Bevan French's try from a blatant forward pass would have been given.

Giving Adam Keighran an advance on next year's wages was clearly a smart bit of thinking.

Having watched the game back this morning, my Bill Arthur bingo card was full after about 20 minutes with Croydon Hurricanes and Ethan Havard being born in Bulgaria getting mentions along with several wrong player names and referring to us as Catalans several times. Also enjoyed Tez and Baz criticising us for going for goal for the first penalty only to switch to "You have to take the points in these big games" as Harry put the ball between the sticks.

Finally, huge thanks to Ian Lenagan for everything over the last 16 years. I'll never not support Wigan passionately obviously but he has brought something special back to the club and the last two seasons have been the most I have enjoyed watching Wigan since the 1990s

Great result but a nerve wracking first half! I knew we would win after the first 15 mins of the second half.

A wonderful result for everybody involved but especially Matty and Ian Lenagan.

Really excited for next season!

To be honest, Catalans never looked like scoring and had Wigan taken their chances it could have been a comfortable night for the faithful. Credit to the Cats for sticking at it though, some of their scrambling defence was first class.

i think they had the better of the 1st 20 minutes, but never really created anything of note in that period. The rest of the game, whilst an attritional arm wrestle type game, i felt pretty comfortable as we took control of the game, and made far breaks and just need either that little bit of composure / luck to finish one of them off, but as you've said, also credit the Catalan scrambling defence

Catalan were definitely fatigued with about 20 minutes of the game left, and i think we got a couple of penalties due to lazy high shots, nowt nasty, just absolutely knackered and trying to make tackles