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  ()
Warrington Wolves Wigan Warriors
16 30
12 Total
WAR 160 16
WIG 624 30
Date5 October 2013
StadiumOld Trafford
Location Manchester
Harry Sunderland Trophy Blake Green ( Wigan Warriors)
JerusalemLaura Wright
RefereesRichard Silverwood
Attendance66,281
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
Commentators

Background
Further information: 2013 Super League season results
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
2 Warrington Wolves 272016836461+37541[6]
4 Wigan Warriors 2717110816460+35635

Route to the Final

Warrington Wolves

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]

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; (N) = Neutral venue.

Wigan Warriors

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.

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; (N) = Neutral venue.

Match details
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
Man 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

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 the 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

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
Main article: 2014 World Club Challenge

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.

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References
  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. Super League. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  7. "Super League: Warrington 40-20 Leeds". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. 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. BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  10. "Super League: Huddersfield 8-22 Wigan". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  11. "Super League: Wigan 22-12 Leeds". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
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