Wigan Warriors 9 Hull KR 2
Matt Peet is a keen advocate of visualisation, but surely not even he could have foreseen winning seven trophies in just three seasons as head coach of Wigan Warriors.
This Grand Final victory, chiselled on Bevan French’s brilliance and obstinate defending, keeps the Super League trophy in Wigan’s possession along with the game’s other major honours; the World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield.
Wigan are top dogs again, as they were during their glory days of the late 1980s and early 1990s when the likes of Shaun Edwards, Andy Gregory, Ellery Hanley and Martin Offiah graced the famous cherry-and-white jersey.
Now they can count on talents such as French, who scored a try that will be talked about for decades to come.
It came midway through the first half when he collected possession 40 metres from Hull KR’s line and displayed impish footwork, daring and ambition to outstrip three opposition defenders before crossing the line.
From there Wigan never really looked back and Hull KR, who last won a trophy in 1985, could not find the quality to unlock the most aggressive of defences.
Victory saw Wigan win back-to-back Grand Finals for the first time and also marked their first domestic treble of the Super League era.
That is testament to the outstanding job that Peet has performed since being appointed ahead of the 2022 campaign.
The poetry-loving 40-year-old, who never played the game professionally but worked his way up through the club’s coaching ranks, is a good story in his own right.
He practises visualisation, meditation and yoga and uses a life coach, with his players having bought into his own methods.
Among the 68,173 crowd here were England rugby union stars George Ford, and twins Tom and Ben Curry.
It was the best-attended Grand Final since 2017 and the educated boot of Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis, the newly-crowned Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel, soon came to the fore.
In the 10th minute, a high bomb from Lewis went to the left corner, where half-back partner Tyrone May knocked the ball on before Lewis grounded the loose ball.
Referee Chris Kendall ruled it out as a no-try, a view supported by video referee Liam Moore, but it was a let-off for Wigan.
In the 14th minute, Wigan’s hugely promising second-rower Junior Nsemba, crowned Super League’s Young Player of the Year on Tuesday, was hurt in a tackle by James Batchelor and taken off for a head injury assessment (HIA).
Midway through the first half, Lewis sent a teasing grubber kick behind the Wigan defence, forcing Jai Field to concede a goal-line drop-out.
Was all that enterprise from the Robins to count for nothing? Then, in the 22nd minute, came true genius from French.
He collected possession around 40 metres from Hull KR’s line and, with a combination of searing pace and stunning footwork, he hared past Lewis, Matt Parcell and Niall Evalds before diving over the line and Adam Keighran’s conversion made it 6-0.
Liam Marshall, a proven performer on the big stage, touched down in the left corner moments later, only for it be ruled out due to an offside infringement in the build-up.
Nsemba returned to the field after passing his HIA while a period of pressure from Rovers came to nothing before Harry Smith landed a drop-goal to send Wigan in at the break with a 7-0 advantage.
Rovers pushed hard for a try shortly after the interval, yet Wigan simply refused to buckle.
A penalty from Lewis finally got the Robins off the mark but Wigan held on to retain their title.
