150 years of history compared to 23 years of history. Five super league titles compared to zero. Wigan Warriors vs Catalans Dragons.
On Saturday, 14th October, Old Trafford will play host once again to The Super League Grand Final when Matthew Peet’s Wigan Warriors take on Steve McNamara’s Catalans Dragons.
It is the first Super League Final for Matthew Peet, after losing in the 2022 semi – finals against Leeds Rhinos 20 – 8, with the hopes of bringing the trophy back to his hometown this time around.
This is the Riversiders’ first Super League Final since defeat in 2020 by St Helens 8 – 4.
Having already won silverware for Wigan in 2022 after beating the Huddersfield Giants in the Challenge Cup final, Peet believes success on Saturday would be even better.
“The Challenge Cup was an outstanding feeling for the club but getting to a Grand Final and to compete against an outstanding team is another step in the right direction.”
Super League giants St Helens missed out on an automatic semi-final place by 55 points, with the extra game potentially affecting the players as they succumbed to a 12 – 6 defeat to the Dragons on the 6th of October.
Former England boss McNamara is hoping to take The Dragons one step further and lift the silverware on Saturday.
“What we learnt a couple of years ago was playing good in a grand final is not good enough, to win a grand final you have to be excellent, outstanding.”
Captain and second row forward Benjamin Garcia was also a part of the team losing to St Helens two years ago but is firmly set on moving on from that heartbreak and writing positive history for the Dragons.
“Two years ago, it was new but now it is more familiar (having) been here before, so it’s easier.”
However, the obvious storyline is of Sam Tomkins.
The Catalans fullback announced his retirement in March and will end his 15-season career on Saturday against the team that gave him his debut in 2008.
McNamara described Tomkins as “one of the biggest role models you can have” and credits him for his positive influence on the younger generation coming through the game ranks.
Tomkins, a winner of the grand final in 2010, 2013 and 2018 all of which came with the Warriors and is now hoping to achieve his fourth and first away from the Wigan outfit.
The 34-year-old sees his former team as “almost machine-like and it’s going to be a real battle.”
Warriors captain Liam Farrell has spent his entire 13-year career with the Cherry and Whites whilst having spent eight of those seasons competing alongside Sam Tomkins who he describes as “an outstanding player.”
“He deserves to go out on a grand final, he’s been an unbelievable player across his career but at the same time, we’ll show him the ultimate respect by showing the best of us.”
The final is predicted to be an event with over 55,000 people expected to go through the turnstiles at Old Trafford on Saturday to watch these two teams go head-to-head for 80 minutes.
Victory on Saturday gives Wigan their sixth title, their first since 2018, and would highlight the job Matthew Peet has done in just over two years.
A win for the Catalans Dragons will make them only the 5th team to lift the Super League Trophy and take their final record to one loss and one win.
From Wigan, England to Perpignan, France. On Saturday, eyes from all over the lands will descend upon Old Trafford for the 6PM kick off and battle between the Catalans Dragons and the Wigan Warriors.
The question is, will we witness a French revolution and fairytale ending or a prevalent Super League figure tightening their grip and status within the league?
Find out at Old Trafford, 6PM kick off, on Saturday.
You will not want to miss it.
