2010 Super League Grand Final

Background

Route to the Final

Wigan Warriors

St Helens

Pre-match

Pre-match entertainment was provided by a performance from Diana Vickers. Rhydian Roberts sang Jerusalem and then a minute's silence was also observed for Terry Newton who had died the previous weekend before St Helens, wearing blue with white (as both sides' traditional colours are red and white), kicked off.

Match details

Wigan's captain, Sean O'Loughlin, was the only player who also played in his team's previous grand final in 2003. bg = #eeeeee | date = 2 October 2010 18:00 UTC+1 | team1 = Wigan Warriors [[Image:Wigancolours.svg|16px]] | score = 22 - 10| report = Report| team2 = [[Image:Saintscolours.svg|16px]] St. Helens | points1 = Tries: Martin Gleeson (2) Darrell Goulding Sam Tomkins Goals: Pat Richards (2) Mark Riddell| points2 = Tries: Andrew Dixon Francis Meli Goals: Jamie Foster | stadium = Old Trafford, Manchester | attendance = 71,526| referee= Richard Silverwood | manofmatch = Thomas Leuluai{{Cite news | access-date = 4 October 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101014200442/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/rugby-league/maguire-proves-the-guiding-light-as-revitalised-wigan-roll-back-the-years-2096855.html| archive-date= 14 October 2010 | url-status= live}} |

In the fourth minute Wigan were twelve metres out from St Helens' try-line when, on the fifth tackle, they passed it through the hands out to the right side where centre Martin Gleeson forced his way through the defence. The video referee awarded the try and Pat Richards' conversion attempt missed so the Cherry & Whites were in front 4-0. At the fifteen-minute mark Wigan were working the ball out of their own half when they again moved the ball out to the right where Sam Tomkins made a break and then passed back inside to Thomas Leuluai in support. Leuluai then passed to Deacon who passed for Gleeson to cross untouched, putting the ball down behind the uprights for his second try. Richards kicked the simple conversion so Wigan were in front 10-0. About three minutes later Wigan had again made their way up to within spitting distance of St Helens' try line where they passed the ball quickly out to right winger Darrell Goulding to dive over in the corner untouched. Richards' sideline conversion was successful so The Warriors now led 16-0 with little over a quarter of the match gone. In the twenty-eighth minute St Helens had managed to make their way up inside Wigan's ten-metre line where Jon Wilkin got the ball and ran back inside across the defensive line, passing to Andrew Dixon who ran untouched through a gap for a close-range try. The simple conversion was kicked by Jamie Foster so St Helens were trailing 16-6. No more points were scored in the remaining minutes so this was the half-time score.

Pat Richards did not return to the field after the break due to an Achilles tendon injury. In the fourth minute of the second half, Wigan were almost over St Helens' twenty-metre line when the ball went to Leuluai who dummied his way through a gap in the defence and managed to evade several more tacklers before clambering his way to the try line where it was ruled by the video referee that the ball was stripped from him. A penalty was awarded to Wigan and the option to kick was taken, but Riddell missed. St Helens then enjoyed some possession but failed to convert their chances into points before Wigan were on the attack again by the fifty-third minute. From twelve metres out the ball was played and passed right, finding Sam Tomkins who dummied and took on the defensive line, somehow managing to maintain his momentum and reach out of a two-man tackle to plant the ball over the line. Riddell missed the conversion attempt badly so Wigan were leading 20-6. A few minutes later the Cherry & Whites got a penalty in an easy kicking position and Riddell got the two points, extending the lead to 22-6. In the sixtieth minute Wigan crossed St Helens' line again but it was called back by the video referee due to obstruction. Wigan were awarded a penalty ten minutes later and took the kick, but Tomkins' attempt missed, leaving the margin at sixteen points with ten minutes of the game remaining. In the seventy-fourth minute St Helens had made it into the opposition's quarter of the field where they swung the ball out to Francis Meli to score on the left wing. Foster missed the sideline conversion attempt, so the score was 22-10 in favour of Wigan. No more points were scored in the remaining minutes of the match so it was Wigan who celebrated their first championship since 1998.

Thomas Leuluai was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as the Grand Final's man-of-the-match. Wigan's new Australian coach Michael Maguire had won a championship in his first season as a head coach. For St Helens' it was their fourth consecutive grand final defeat and a disappointing exit from the game for their retiring captain Keiron Cunningham in his 496th game.

Wigan's celebrations continued the following day with the team's open-top bus tour from JJB Sports HQ at Martland Park into Market Place, Wigan attracting thousands of fans despite rainy weather.

2011 World Club Challenge

By winning the grand final, the Wigan Warriors had earned the right to play against the 2010 NRL grand final-winners, the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the 2011 World Club Challenge in February.

References

References

1. (2 October 2010). "St Helens 10 Wigan 22". BBC Sport.
2. "St Helens v Wigan Warriors – engage Super League Grand Final". Purple Clouds Photography.
3. Wilson, Andy. (4 October 2010). "Wigan's Martin Gleeson dedicates Grand Final triumph to Terry Newton". guardian.co.uk.
4. (30 December 2010). "St Helens Vs Wigan Warriors: Grand Final Stats". rugbyleaguetoday.co.uk.
5. Soneji, Pranav. (2010-10-02). "Super League Grand Final as it happened". BBC.
6. (2 October 2010). "Gleeson strikes as Wigan claim Grand Final glory". espn.co.uk.
7. Wilson, Andy. (2 October 2010). "Wigan turn St Helens into sinners with Super League Grand Final win". guardian.co.uk.
8. Burke, David. (3 October 2010). "Wigan 22 St Helens 10". mirror.co.uk.
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17. AFP. (3 October 2010). "Wigan defeat St Helens in English Super League grand final". [[Fox Sports (Australia).
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19. (4 October 2010). "Heroes' welcome". wigantoday.net.