TWO clubs have a unique shot at history in one of the unlikeliest Grand Finals on Saturday.
For only the second time, the Super League decider won’t feature either of the top two finishers, after Warrington Wolves edged past Leeds Rhinos on Friday night and Wakefield Trinity stunned Wigan Warriors on Saturday evening.
For the first time since the inaugural Grand Final of 1998, neither finalist has previously won the Super League title.
Indeed, for both clubs the wait extends much further than the summer era, with Warrington out to end a wait for a league championship which extends to 1955, while Wakefield were last champions in 1968.
The Wolves have endured a series of near misses in modern times, losing four Grand Finals between 2012 and 2018.
But the decider is entirely new Trinity territory, with the achievement made even more remarkable by the fact they were in the Championship only two seasons ago.
“I feel like we’ve grown immeasurably over the last two years,” said Wakefield coach Daryl Powell.
“I’ve always seen it. It’s such a talented group. We’ve kept adding here and there to get better.
“There’s been a growth of belief throughout the year, but it’s been there for the last six weeks, genuine belief that we can win the comp.
“The run-in, playing most of the top-six teams, set us up nicely, and we’ve come into the play-offs tuned in and ready.
“We’ve not won anything yet; that’s the important thing. We’ll keep our heads down.
“Next week needs to be a great week for us. It’ll be nice and relaxed and focused. If we can play the way we know we can play, we’ll challenge anybody.”
Sam Burgess, seeking his first piece of silverware at the end of his third season as Warrington coach after succeeding Powell there, sees the coming days similarly.
“It’s important we enjoy the week. It’s hard to get to the final week of the season, so we must enjoy it,” he said.
“We don’t need to tighten up. We need to get into the position to put our best foot forward. Recovery will be important because it’s been a long year.
“We’ll tidy a couple of things up on the field, and give ourselves every opportunity to take that next step now.”
Burgess hopes to take some inspiration from his NRL Grand Final win of 2014 with South Sydney Rabbitohs, when his leading effort – with a broken cheekbone – earned that club their first championship in 43 years.
“There’s a lot of pressure that comes with it externally, so I guess managing that I’ve got a bit of a handle on it, and I’ve learned that as well since being at this club.
“It helps us out, but it’s just got to be another normal week. The prize is just a bit bigger at the end of this one.”