WARRINGTON WOLVES and Wakefield Trinity will meet for the first time in a major final on Saturday.

Whatever the Grand Final result at Old Trafford, club history will be written by the winning side.

Warrington are seeking the first league title since a 7-3 Championship Final victory against Oldham on 14 May, 1955 (at Maine Road, Manchester).

Wakefield are seeking their first league title since a 17-10 Championship Final victory against Hull KR on 4 May, 1968 (at Headingley, Leeds).

But there are also individuals on both sides who could make their own piece of Grand Final history – good and bad.

Wakefield’s Tyson Smoothy has the chance to join the ranks of players who have won both the NRL and Super League Grand Finals.

Smoothy was a substitute in Brisbane Broncos’ 26-22 win against Melbourne Storm on 5 October last year (at Accor Stadium, Sydney).

With victory, Smoothy would be the first player to complete the double in successive years since Ben Harris, who triumphed in 2004 (Canterbury Bulldogs) and 2005 (Bradford Bulls). The full list of ‘double winners’ can be found at the bottom of this page.

Meanwhile, with defeat, Wakefield’s Mike McMeeken would equal the unwanted record of most Grand Final appearances without a win with four.

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 – share the unwanted record. Newton lost with Leeds in 1998 and with Wigan in 2000, 2001 and 2003.

McMeeken has previously lost with Castleford Tigers (2017) and twice with Catalans Dragons (2021, 2023).

Warrington’s Ewan Irwin (18 years, 238 days) has the chance to become the youngest player to score in a Grand Final, whilst Wakefield’s Jay Pitts (36 years, 298 days) could become the oldest.

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)
Tyrone May (Penrith 2021/Hull KR 2025)
Danny Moore (Manly 1996/Wigan 1998)
Frank-Paul Nuuausala (Sydney Roosters 2013/Wigan 2016)
Pat Richards (Wests Tigers 2005/Wigan 2010 & 2013)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters 2013, 2018 & 2019/Hull KR 2025)