LEEDS band The Pigeon Detectives provided the pre-match entertainment – and did their bit to generate a cracking Old Trafford atmosphere.

But as a proud son of Hull walked out onto the famous turf, he might have had the words of an American music artist running through his mind.

‘The moment, you own it, you better never let it go, you only get one shot, do not miss your chance,’ rapped Eminem in his anthemic song ‘Lose Yourself’.

Mikey Lewis will hopefully get another opportunity to claim a big prize, maybe this year when the Australians arrive for the Ashes.

But while Grand Final opponents Wigan had achieved it twelve months earlier, Rugby League history suggests the chance of a clean sweep of trophies doesn’t come around all that often.

With the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield already in the bag – and also in the Hull KR dressing room in Manchester – this was their chance to compete a magnificent chapter in the club’s rich history.

But there was pressure, and plenty of it – on Wille Peters’ team as they targeted a first title in 40 years against the background of having fallen at the final hurdle the year before, and on chief string-puller Lewis.

There is absolutely no doubt about the 24-year-old stand-off’s talent, but plenty had questioned his ability to show it on the biggest stages.

The answer came clearly and decisively in the form of his influential display as Rovers overcame a nervy start to keep Wigan at arm’s length from the moment he scored the game’s opening try, then being awarded the Rob Burrow Award as man of the match.

“I just said out there, Mikey Lewis has arrived,” reflected Peters, himself a former halfback whose post-match embrace of his number six hinted at a special bond between the pair.

“What I meant by that was in big moments, and it doesn’t get bigger than a Grand Final.

“He owned that first half. He does cop a lot but it shows the top player he is and the player we’ve got.

“He was ready, he stood up – and I’m so proud of him.”

Winning sports matches is seldom down to one player, and this was a real team effort by Rovers, with two-try winger Joe Burgess, retiring prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and hooker Jez Litten also prominent.

But Lewis was central to two key moments, firstly putting pressure on Bevan French, last year’s Rob Burrow Award winner, as his opposite number latched onto Liam Marshall’s kick and looked set to open the scoring – only to lose contact with the ball as he tried to ground it.

Then with Wigan a man down following Brad O’Neill’s yellow card after 18 minutes in which his side had held the upper hand (Liam Farrell had earlier spilt possession with the try-line open), as Rovers worked to exploit the extra space, Lewis struck for the first try of the game, wrongfooting French and surging past Farrell to establish a lead which wasn’t to be lost.

Lewis secured 25 of the 48 votes polled for the Rob Burrow Award. Litten and Waerea-Hargreaves each had seven, James Batchelor three, Peta Hiku and Arthur Mourgue two apiece and Burgess and Elliot Minchella one each.