2013 Super League Grand Final

The 2013 Super League Grand Final was the 16th official Grand Final and conclusive and championship-deciding match of Super League XVIII. The game was held on Saturday 5 October 2013,[1] at Old Trafford, Manchester, and was contested by Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves. The two teams reached the final after progressing through the Super League XVIII play-offs. It was Warrington's second successive Grand Final and second successive defeat as Wigan won 30-16 with 28 unanswered points after going 16-2 down in the first half[2][3] to claim a Super League/Challenge Cup double, having won the 2013 Challenge Cup against Hull F.C. at Wembley Stadium in August.[4][5]

2013 (2013) Super League Grand Final  ()
2013 Super League logo
12 Total
WAR 160 16
WIG 624 30
Date5 October 2013
StadiumOld Trafford
LocationEngland Manchester
Harry Sunderland TrophyAustralia Blake Green ( Wigan Warriors)
JerusalemLaura Wright
RefereeRichard Silverwood
Attendance66,281
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
Commentators
← 2012
2014 →

Background

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
2   Warrington Wolves 27 20 1 6 836 461 +375 41[6]
4   Wigan Warriors 27 17 1 10 816 460 +356 35

Route to the Final

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Warrington Wolves

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Warrington's 2013 play-off campaign started with a 40-20 home win over last season's Grand Final winners, Leeds Rhinos[7] with Ben Westwood scoring four tries. The result, coupled with Wigan's win over the league leaders Huddersfield, meant that Warrington would be the team to choose in the Club Call.

On Sunday 22 September, Warrington opted to play Huddersfield Giants in the Qualifying Semi Final instead of a re-match against Leeds. Warrington's coach Tony Smith did not have any say in the choice of opponent, after describing the Club Call as "a ridiculous gimmick".[8] Warrington's choice proved fruitful, as they ran out 30-22 winners against Huddersfield to send Warrington into their second Grand Final in two years, having never reached the final before the 2012 final.[9]

Warrington
Round Opposition Score
Qualifying Play-Off   Leeds Rhinos (H) 40-20
Semi-Final   Huddersfield Giants (H) 30-22
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue.

Wigan Warriors

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Following a poor run of results towards the end of the regular season, Wigan slipped down from first to fourth in the table, forfeiting home advantage in the first round of the play-offs as a result. Despite being drawn away in their Qualifying Play off game, Wigan went to Huddersfield's John Smith's Stadium and won 22-8 with two tries for Josh Charnley and two drop-goals from Matty Smith.[10]

Following the Club Call decision by Warrington, Wigan met Leeds in the Qualifying Semi Final at the DW Stadium at the same stage and same venue as the 2012 play-offs.[11] However, Wigan would be successful in 2013, winning 22-12 in what would be the last home match for Sam Tomkins, Pat Richards and Lee Mossop.

Wigan
Round Opposition Score
Preliminary Semi-Final   Huddersfield Giants (H) 22-8
Semi-Final   Leeds Rhinos (H) 22-12
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue.

Match details

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5 October 2013
18:00 BST
Warrington Wolves   16–30   Wigan Warriors
Tries: J. Monaghan   21'
Grix   24'
Westwood   26'
Goals: Ratchford 24', 26'
(Report)
Tries: Goulding   38'
McIlorum   49'
Charnley   53'
Green  65'
Richards   74'
Goals: Richards 11', 49', 53', 65', 74'
Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 66,281
Referee: Richard Silverwood
Player of the Match: Blake Green
Warrington Wolves Position Wigan Warriors
19   Stefan Ratchford Fullback 1   Sam Tomkins
2   Chris Riley Wing 2   Josh Charnley
3   Chris Bridge Centre 3   Darrell Goulding
4   Ryan Atkins Centre 17   Iain Thornley
5   Joel Monaghan Wing 5   Pat Richards
6   Lee Briers Stand-off 6   Blake Green
7   Richie Myler Scrum-half 7   Matty Smith
16   Paul Wood Prop 20   Gil Dudson
14   Mickey Higham Hooker 9   Michael McIlorum
18   Chris Hill Prop 10   Lee Mossop
12   Ben Westwood Second-row 11   Harrison Hansen
15   Simon Grix Second-row 12   Liam Farrell
13   Ben Harrison loose forward 13   Sean O'Loughlin (c)
8   Adrian Morley (c) Interchange 4   Jack Hughes
9   Michael Monaghan Interchange 15   Ben Flower
10   Garreth Carvell Interchange 21   Scott Taylor
17   Michael Cooper Interchange 26   Dom Crosby
  Tony Smith Coach   Shaun Wane

First half

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A cagey opening to the game saw little in the way of notable action aside from 3 minutes into the game when Wigan stand off Blake Green was tackled and Warrington second rower Ben Westwood punched a prone Green in the face. The referee only put Westwood on report for the incident. After receiving treatment, Green was able to carry on. Wigan took the lead on 11 minutes when Pat Richards booted a penalty kick to put Wigan 2-0 up. Green kicked a 40/20 shortly after to give Wigan a prime opportunity to extend their lead but they couldn't take it. On 21 minutes, Warrington took the lead when winger Joel Monaghan plucked a Lee Briers kick out of the air but Stefan Ratchford couldn't nail the conversion, 4-2 to Warrington.

3 minutes later the Wire extended their lead after the Warriors kicked out on the full from the kickoff. They gained territory from the set and Simon Grix took Micky Higham's pass to crash over the line. Ratchford converts to make it 10-2. Warrington scored again on 26 minutes as Ben Westwood charged over from close range after great work from Briers with Ratchford kicking the extras to make it 16-2 and put Warrington in the driving seat. As the game inched closer to half time, a turning point came when Joel Monaghan paid the ultimate price for halting Warriors winger Pat Richards' charge to the corner as he knocked himself out preventing Richards from going over for a try. After he was stretchered off, Wigan showed there were still signs of life when the Josh Charnley-Darrell Goulding combination that had been so great all season, but so wasteful in this game up until this point, finally clicked when Sam Tomkins sent Goulding over in the corner. Richards was unable to convert as the score at half time was 16-6.

Second half

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The next try was going to be a pivotal one whichever way it went and it went to Wigan on 49 minutes as Michael McIlorum threw a dummy at the play the ball which fooled Warrington's defence and he was able to scoot over the line with Richards' conversion reducing the deficit to 16-12. Warrington would then lose Ratchford to injury as they began to run out of bodies. Wigan tied the game on 53 minutes as Goulding played a grubber kick behind the Warrington line and Charnley was quickest to react as he won the race to the ball and went over; Richards kicking the extras to give Wigan a slender 18-16 lead. The Warriors then extended their lead with 15 minutes left as Green, sporting a black eye after the punch he took earlier in the game, sold Adrian Morley a dummy before diving under the posts to give Richards an easy conversion to put Wigan 24-16 up. With six minutes left, Richards ended a glittering 8 season career at Wigan with one more try and conversion as he plucked a looping pass from Sean O'Loughlin to touch down in the corner and convert his own try to make it 30-16. This win sealed the Super League and Challenge Cup double for Wigan, the Warriors becoming the first team to achieve that feat since St Helens in 2006 and ensured that Sam Tomkins, Pat Richards, and Lee Mossop would all leave for the NRL on a high. It was heartbreak though for Lee Briers, who retired at the end of this season, and outgoing Wolves players Adrian Morley, Gareth Carvell, and Michael Cooper.

World Club Challenge

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By winning this match the Warriors had qualified for the World Club Challenge, to be played early in the 2014 season against the winners of the 2013 NRL Grand final, the Sydney Roosters.

References

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  1. ^ "Super League Grand Final". Super League. Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  2. ^ Newsum, Matt (5 October 2013). "Super League Grand Final: Wigan Warriors beat Warrington". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Super League Grand Final: Warrington v Wigan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Warrington Wolves 16 Wigan Warriors 30". Daily Telegraph. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Wigan see off Warrington in X-rated Grand Final to complete double". Guardian. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  6. ^ "League Table". Super League. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Super League: Warrington 40-20 Leeds". BBC Sport. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Club Call: Warrington pick Huddersfield for play-off semi-final". BBC Sport. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  9. ^ "Super League: Warrington 30-22 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Super League: Huddersfield 8-22 Wigan". BBC Sport. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  11. ^ "Super League: Wigan 22-12 Leeds". BBC Sport. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
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