HULL KR’s Tyrone May and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves have the chance to join the ranks of players to have won Grand Finals on both sides of the world.

May was a substitute in the Penrith Panthers side that defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 14-12 in the 2021 NRL Grand Final.

Waerea-Hargreaves started at prop in Sydney Roosters’ NRL Grand Final wins in 2013 (26-18 v Manly Sea Eagles), 2018 (21-6 v Melbourne Storm) and 2019 (14-8 v Canberra Raiders).

DOUBLE GRAND FINAL WINNERS

Adrian Morley is the only British player to play in a Grand Final winning side in both England and Australia. Morley played for Sydney Roosters when they defeated New Zealand Warriors 30-8 in 2002, and for Bradford Bulls when they defeated Leeds Rhinos 15-6 in 2005.

Overseas players that have completed the Grand Final winning double:
Darren Albert (Newcastle 1997/St Helens 2002)
Marcus Bai (Melbourne 1999/Leeds 2004)
Darren Britt (Sydney Bulldogs 1995/St Helens 2002)
Danny Buderus (Newcastle 2001/Leeds 2011)
Jason Cayless (Sydney Roosters 2002/St Helens 2006)
Lachlan Coote (North Queensland 2015/St Helens 2019, 2020 & 2021)
David Furner (Canberra 1994/Leeds 2004)
Daniel Gartner (Manly 1996/Bradford 2001 & 2003)
Ben Harris (Canterbury 2004/Bradford 2005)
Will Hopoate (Manly 2011/St Helens 2022)
Graham Mackay (Penrith 1991/Bradford 2001)
Danny Moore (Manly 1996/Wigan 1998)
Frank-Paul Nuuausala (Sydney Roosters 2013/Wigan 2016)
Pat Richards (Wests Tigers 2005/Wigan 2010 & 2013)

In addition, Waerea-Hargreaves (36 years, 264 days), along with teammate Michael McIlorum (37 years, 274 days), have the chance to become the oldest player to score in a Super League Grand Final.

Meanwhile, with defeat, Hull KR’s Joe Burgess would join the ranks of players to suffer most Grand Final losses, with five.

Burgess was on the losing side for Saturday’s opponents Wigan in 2014 (14-6 v St Helens), 2015 (22-20 v Leeds) & 2020 (8-4 v St Helens) and for the Robins in 2024 (9-2 v Wigan).

Burgess’s four reverses also shares the unwanted record of most Grand Final appearances without a victory.

St Helens’ Paul Clough (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), Chris Flannery (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) and Matt Gidley (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), Warrington’s Chris Hill (2012, 2013, 2016, 2018) and Stefan Ratchford (2012, 2013, 2016, 2018) – along with the late Terry Newton – are tied with Burgess. Newton lost with Leeds in 1998 and with Wigan in 2000, 2001 and 2003.

Wigan’s Liam Farrell, Bevan French and Jake Wardle have the chance to join the ranks of players to have won the man of the match award twice for the same club in a Super League Grand Final.

Farrell won the Harry Sunderland Trophy in a 12-6 victory against Warrington in 2016, with Wardle picking up the award in 2023’s 10-2 triumph against Catalans Dragons.

French was the first winner of the accolade under its renamed title of the Rob Burrow Award, in his sides’ 9-2 triumph over Hull KR in 2024. 

Wigan make a record-equalling 14th appearance (shared with St Helens) in the Super League showpiece on Saturday.

With defeat, Wigan would extend their own unwanted record of losses in Super League Grand Finals to seven (Previous six: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2014, 2015, 2020).