HULL KR 24 WIGAN WARRIORS 6
CALLUM WALKER, Old Trafford, Saturday

FINALLY, a fifth Super League side has won the Grand Final.

And it was just desserts for Hull KR who completed a magnificent domestic treble with a dominant victory – led by the imperious Jez Litten and dynamic Mikey Lewis – over an error-strewn Wigan Warriors.

2004 was the last time a new team had won the Grand Final – and that was Leeds Rhinos – but Rovers, who had to withstand an early onslaught, never looked like losing after going 10-0 up in the first half.

Jack Broadbent was unfortunate to miss out for KR with Michael McIlorum making a remarkable comeback to start at hooker, just two months after fracturing his ankle. Litten dropped to the bench.

Wigan, meanwhile, were unchanged from the side that beat Leigh Leopards.

Two early errors from Rovers invited early pressure from the Warriors, with both James Batchelor and Tom Davies losing possession in vulnerable positions.

Wigan should have made their opponents pay but Liam Farrell couldn’t take in an outrageous no-look Bevan French offload after Adam Keighran had palmed back a Harry Smith kick.

A harsh shoulder challenge call against Jared Waerea-Hargreaves laid the platform for another Warriors attack as a strong Keighran tackle forced an Arthur Mourgue error.

This time French himself knocked on with the line begging after following up a superb Liam Marshall punt through.

Things had been simmering since kick-off, but it was a dangerous Brad O’Neill tip-tackle on Tyrone May that saw Lewis, Waerea-Hargreaves and Keighran involved in the thick of a scuffle.

O’Neill was sinbinned for the offence and the tide began to turn in Rovers’ favour.

Taking control of the attack, Lewis looked like a man possessed, skipping his way past Farrell before gliding under the posts to send Rovers fans into raptures for the first score of the evening. Mourgue made it 6-0 after 20 minutes.

Wigan were their own worst enemies and after a magnificent Dean Hadley shot on Marshall, the winger spilled the ball on his own line and that led to Hull KR adding another four-pointer, Joe Burgess flying miraculously in at the corner as the half-hour loomed. Rhyse Martin couldn’t convert as Willie Peters’ men led 10-0.

With O’Neill back on the field, Wigan looked more composed, and they had the last say in the first half, Keighran slotting over a penalty from 45 metres out for an offside offence.

Warriors boss Matt Peet will have been furious at half-time, but his words certainly resonated with his side as they came out firing in the second half.

Jai Field, who had been kept quiet for the entire opening stanza, lit up the Old Trafford turf with a tremendous break to set Smith on his way just nine minutes in. Keighran shanked the conversion, with Rovers holding a 10-6 lead.

But yet another Wigan error – this time from Sam Walters – handed KR a glorious opportunity in the next set. And, with Batchelor having the ball ripped out, Martin made it 12-6.

This time it was KR and Burgess’ turn to lose possession from the kick-off under huge Patrick Mago pressure. Despite having a four-man overlap, Farrell couldn’t find the right pass as Rovers survived.

Games can turn on a sixpence and Rovers punished that Wigan error with a fine last-tackle move. The ever-impressive Litten fed Batchelor who, in turn, found Peta Hiku on his inside. With Litten backing up, Hiku supplied the final pass for the hooker to dot down and Martin converted expertly for an 18-6 lead on the hour.

Uncharacteristic errors from Marshall and French suggested it wouldn’t be Wigan’s night – and furious Rovers defending made sure of their incredible success with Burgess putting the icing on the cake with a last-minute interception.

Martin rounded off the scoring at 24-6 to cap off a wonderful and memorable evening in Manchester for the East Yorkshire side.

GAMESTAR: Jez Litten was superb off the bench for Rovers.

GAMEBREAKER: Brad O’Neill’s yellow card saw KR register two quick-fire tries.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Mikey Lewis dancing through the Wigan defence to open the scoring.

MATCHFACTS
HULL KR
35 Arthur Mourgue
2 Tom Davies
3 Peta Hiku
4 Oliver Gildart
5 Joe Burgess
6 Mikey Lewis
7 Tyrone May
8 Sauaso Sue
14 Michael McIlorum
10 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
11 Dean Hadley
12 James Batchelor
13 Elliot Minchella
Subs (all used)
9 Jez Litten
15 Sam Luckley
16 Jai Whitbread
17 Rhyse Martin
18th man (not used)
18 Jack Broadbent
Also in 21-man squad
20 Kelepi Tanginoa
21 Jack Brown
36 Noah Booth

Tries: Lewis (20), Burgess (27, 79), Litten (60)
Goals: Mourgue 1/1, Martin 3/4

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
2 Abbas Miski
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
16 Liam Byrne
9 Brad O’Neill
10 Luke Thompson
21 Sam Walters
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
8 Ethan Havard
11 Junior Nsemba
15 Patrick Mago
17 Kruise Leeming
18th man (not used)
20 Harvie Hill
Also in 21-man squad
19 Tyler Dupree
22 Zack Eckersley
24 Jack Farrimond

Tries: Smith (49)
Goals: Keighran 1/2
Sin bin: O’Neill (18) – dangerous tackle

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 10-2; 10-6, 12-6, 18-6, 24-6

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull KR: Jez Litten; Warriors: Junior Nsemba

Penalty count: 2-5
Half-time: 10-2
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 68,853