Wigan Warriors v Saints
Result
Betfred Super League - Grand Final
Wigan Warriors
(0 - 2)
St Helens
27/11/20 - 20:00
Official: Chris Kendall
Saints crowned Champions in greatest ever Grand Final finish
Saints are back to back Super League Champions after an incredible 8-4 Grand Final win over arch rivals Wigan Warriors at the KCOM Stadium, after a breath taking last second try by Jack Welsby secured the win for Kristian Woolf’s side.
It was a typical Saints vs Wigan derby in the opening ten minutes; fiery, aggressive and passionate. Saints made more ground and attacked the Wigan line throughout the opening exchanges, whilst keeping the Warriors in their own half. The retiring James Graham took a big hit to the ribs within the first five minutes, but battled on in his final game of a sparkling career.
Despite Saints’ pressure we were unable to take advantage, and it was Wigan who came closest to opening the score in the 28th minute as Zak Hardaker turned his man and went for the line, but a brilliant defensive effort from five of Kristian Woolf’s men held him up on the line.
Saints were awarded for their efforts on the hooter after a late hit from Smithies. Coote kicked the penalty to give Saints a slender but deserved 2-0 lead going into half time.
We began the second half as we did the first, dominating possession and we were nearly rewarded just over ten minutes into the second half as another one of our retiring Saints – Zeb Taia appeared to have touched the ball down, but he was deemed to have been offside from a kick.
Wigan began to crank up pressure of their own in a gripping Grand Final, and in the 66th minute, the Warriors took the lead through Jake Bibby who was unleashed on the right hand side to dive and go over in the corner on the back of a Saints handling error. Hardaker’s kick hit the post, leaving the score poised at 4-2 in favour of the Warriors.
Saints had to hit back and we got ourselves back on level terms in the 73rd minute. Jackson Hastings was penalised for a high tackle on Theo Fages and Coote made no mistake from the penalty, leaving it 4-4 with only minutes to go in the game.
The Warriors looked like they had the chance to win it two minutes from time after a penalty was awarded close to the half way line, but Hardaker’s kick fell short.
Then…. in a moment which will live long in the memories of rugby league fans across the world and be remembered in Super League folklore… with seconds left in the game, Tommy Makinson attempted a drop goal from close to 40 yards out which cannoned off the post, and bounced back into the field of play. Youngster Jack Welsby was quickest to respond and refused to give up on the chase. He pounced on the rebound before French could to touch down as the hooter sounded. Cue the chaotic scenes as the Saints players went crazy.
It went upstairs and was rightly given. Saints had retained our Super League crown in the most dramatic of circumstances. It was our eighth Super League crown and was the perfect sign off for James Graham and Zeb Taia who both hung up their boots on the back of another Grand Final winners ring.
The only disappointment? There was no Saints fans to witness it with us.
Match Summary:
Wigan 13: Bevan French, Jake Bibby, Zak Hardaker, Oliver Gildart, Joe Burgess, Tommy Leuluai, Jackson Hastings, Joe Bullock, Sam Powell, Brad Singleton, Willie Isa, Liam Farrell, Oliver Partington.
Interchanges: Tony Clubb, Joe Greenwood, Sean O’Loughlin, Morgan Smithies.
Tries: Bibby (66)
Saints 13: Lachlan Coote, Tommy Makinson, Kevin Naiqama, Jack Welsby, Regan Grace, Jonny Lomax, Theo Fages, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, James Graham, Zeb Taia, James Bentley, Morgan Knowles.
Interchanges: Dominique Peyroux, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Matty Lees, Kyle Amor.
Tries: Welsby (80)
Penalties: Coote (40), (73)
Half time: 0-2
Full time: 4-8
Referee: Chris Kendall
WATCH: Finish your year off right!
WATCH: The writing was on the wall for Woolf!
WATCH: 2020 brought back memories of 1971
WATCH: A night we will never forget. 💙
Gallery: Saints are 2020 Super League Champions!
Jammer: I think we may have topped Wide to West….
Highlights and full match replay: 2020 Super League Grand Final
Walmsley to undergo knee surgery
Saints TV: Man of the Match Roby pays credit to fans
Saints TV: Welsby speechless after Grand Final winning try
Saints TV: Woolf reacts to dramatic Grand Final win
Watch the dramatic moment we clinched the Super League title
Saints crowned Champions in greatest ever Grand Final finish
Saints are 2020 Super League Champions!
Live: Super League Grand Final
Match Preview: Grand Final
Jammer: A tribute from his teammates
WATCH: Makinson surprises Saints fan thanks to Dacia!
Joint press conference: Lomax and French on what it means
The Grand Final is upon us!
Joint press conference: Roby and O’Loughlin preview Grand Final
Grand Final 21 man Squad named
Saints and Warriors both clear to play after negative Covid tests
Joint press conference: Woolf on Grand Final and early team news
Trivia Tuesday – Grand Finals!
Chris Kendall appointed Grand Final referee
Naiqama excited for Wigan vs Saints Grand Final
Saints Line up
| 1 | Lachlan Coote |
|---|---|
| 2 | Tommy Makinson |
| 3 | Kevin Naiqama |
| 1 | Jack Welsby |
| 5 | Regan Grace |
| 6 | Jonny Lomax |
| 7 | Theo Fages |
| 8 | Alex Walmsley |
| James Roby | |
| 32 | James Graham |
| 11 | Zeb Taia |
| 12 | James Bentley |
| 13 | Morgan Knowles |
| 12 | Dominique Peyroux |
| 15 | Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook |
| 10 | Matty Lees |
| 18 | Kyle Amor |
Wigan Warriors Line up
| 1 | Bevan French |
|---|---|
| 2 | Jake Bibby |
| 3 | Zak Hardaker |
| 4 | Oliver Gildart |
| 5 | Joe Burgess |
| 6 | Tommy Leuluai |
| 7 | Jackson Hastings |
| 8 | Joe Bullock |
| 9 | Sam Powell |
| 10 | Brad Singleton |
| 11 | Willie Isa |
| 12 | Liam Farrell |
| 13 | Oliver Partington |
| 14 | Tony Clubb |
| 15 | Joe Greenwood |
| 16 | Sean O’Loughlin |
| 17 | Morgan Smithies |
Last updated 27 Nov 20 21:58:39
𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 𝙏𝙊 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 𝘽𝘼𝘽𝙔!!!!!
FT: 🍒⚪ Wigan 4-8 Saints 🔵⚪
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒!!!!!!!!!!!
OH MY WORDDDDD! TOMMY MAKINSON GOES FOR THE DROP GOAL. IT REBOUNDS OFF THE POST AND JACK WELSBY IS THERE TO WIN THE GRAND FINAL FOR SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!
#COYS
FEFUJDHFESHJLFKSJKLSFEFDSJFSHDDFDKJFDKJHDAKJSHSHJSHJFSFKHFSZFJHFHDFJHFJS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wigan win a penalty for infringement and Hardaker goes for goal, but it comes up short!!! Here we go Saints on the attack…1 minute left!
🍒⚪ Wigan 4-4 Saints 🔵⚪
Fages goes for the drop goal from just over half way, but it is way short and Wigan have it back in their own half…2 minutes to go!
🍒⚪ Wigan 4-4 Saints 🔵⚪
HOW ARE THE NERVES????
#COYS
Coooote levels us up in this Grand Final!
🍒⚪ Wigan 4-4 Saints 🔵⚪
Fages is again caught high and that will be a penalty in front of the sticks. Cooote will go for the two….
🍒⚪ Wigan 4-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Farrell catches Fages high and we win the penalty just inside the Wigan half. Cooote opts to run it rather than go for a difficult two.
🍒⚪ Wigan 4-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Hardaker’s kick rebounds off the bar and away.
🍒⚪ Wigan 4-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Cooote’s kick is blocked and Fages can’t gather before the ball is moved to the right for Bibby to go over in the corner.
🍒⚪ Wigan 4-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Great defence from Lomax and Grace forces Bibby in touch!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Big Al is back on for LMS. Can he make the difference? Great defence from Saints forces the Wigan pass to find touch!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Can we find that crucial bit of Magic?
Dom Peyroux is on for Matty Lees as Lomax looks to make a break…
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Roby is held up just short of the Wigan line!! It’s the turnover.
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
The video referee says ‘no’ and Wigan survive…Only for the Warriors to concede a penalty and we have the ball back in their half!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
HAVE WE GOT THE FIRST TRY OF THE GAME AS ZEBBY GOES OVER IN HIS FINAL SAINTS GAME??????? It’s gone upstairs…
We again trap Wigan in goal – this time Hastings after a Lomax kick. The pressure is building…
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
A great set from Saints results in Bibby being trapped in his own goal after a Cooote grubber. We come again!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Bentley is enjoying this derby battle!
The ball is moved out to our left side, but Bibby can’t grasp French’s pass out wide and we get the ball back…
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Wigan force a set restart as Cooote is trapped in goal. Time to defend again, boys!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Wigan win the first set restart of the Grand Final and have a set on half way.
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
We are back underway here at the KCOM Stadium! COYS! 🔵⚪
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
HT: 🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
It was a real defensive battle in that first half, but we take a narrow lead into the break after Cooote’s late penalty.
#COYS
Coooote makes no mistake and kicks us into a narrow lead. How crucial will this two points be come full time?
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-2 Saints 🔵⚪
Cooooote is hit off the ball again and the referee rightly gives a penalty for Saints. Coote himself will get back up and attempt to send us into the break in front…
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
A mix up in the Saints line as both Coote and Grace leave the high Wigan kick for each other and our full back knocks on. We get away with it as Wigan lose the ball in their first set.
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Kyle Amor is on for Morgan Knowles. Can we break the deadlock before the interval?
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Saints come forward again, but Cooote’s kick is caught by a Wigan man and it’s time to defend. Both defences are on top!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Great defence from Saints sees Hardaker held up on the Saints line! LMS is on for Big Al! 🔵⚪
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
It’s a BATTLE!
Joe Burgess is off for a head assessment. Hardaker in on the wing now for Wigan with Joe Greenwood coming on.
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
The ball is lost by a Wigan player, but referee Chris Kendall says it goes backwards before Taia knocks on the rebound.
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Wigan win a penalty in the Saints half. Time to defend, boys!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Matty Lees is on for Jammer as Robes so nearly kicks a 40-20 for Saints!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
A solid start, Saints! 💪
#COYS
Wigan defend it well as Coote’s grubber is picked up by French, but it’s good early pressure from the Saints!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Grace wins a penalty as he is blocked off when challenging French. A chance here…
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Saints come again, but this time Fages high kick is knocked on by Makinson under a challenge from Burgess before Taia concedes a penalty.
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Fages kick is caught by Burgess and Wigan survive the early Saints pressure. A decent start, Saints!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Jammer is caught off the ball before the set results in a Roby grubber being knocked dead and we will come again after this Wigan goal-line drop out…
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Saints and James Bentley win an early penalty after a high shot. Coooote kicks for touch and we have the first opportunity of the Grand Final!
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
The 2020 Betfred Super League Grand Final is underway! COYS! 🔵⚪
🍒⚪ Wigan 0-0 Saints 🔵⚪
Jammer is out for his final warm up as a Saint! Kick off is next!
Jammer is out for his final warm up as a Saint! Kick off is next!
If you missed it earlier – this is how we will line up! James Graham will make his final appearance in a Saints shirt as will Zeb Taia and Dom Peyroux!
Team news will be with with you at 6:30pm!
Head over to our social media channels for all the pre-match build up!
Welcome to the KCOM Stadium in Hull ahead of tonight’s Betfred Super League GRAND FINAL against rivals Wigan Warriors with kick off at 8pm!
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