Super League Grand Final: Rhinos to win cagey encounter

Raj Bains
09 October 2015

Kevin Sinfield will play his last game for Leeds in the Grandfinal - but will it be a fairytale finish?

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After a whirlwind season of change and endless competiton, the 2015 Super League season comes to a close on Saturday night in Manchester - but who will lift the trophy at Old Trafford? Raj Bains investigates...

"Everything, it seems, has been going to plan for the boys in blue and amber, with the belief that some things are just ‘meant to be’ swelling across the city."

Back Leeds Rhinos to beat Wigan Warriors by a margin of 1-12pts @ 7/4

Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors
Saturday, 18:00
Live on Sky Sports 1 from 17:00

There's always a lot to play for in a Grandfinal, but this time around, the stakes might just be that little bit higher. Leeds, looking for their seventh title since 2004, are on for a treble, having already secured the Challenge Cup and League Leader's Shield early on in the season.

With the legendary trio of Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai all playing their final Rhinos game at Old Trafford, and newly crowned Man Of Steel winner Zak Hardaker playing his first game since collecting the award, the side from Headingley aren't short on incentives to win.

Across the Pennines, however, the Wigan Warriors won't be caring too much at all about sentiment. Back in the ground they lost in last season after the now infamous Ben Flower incident, the Warriors will be wanting to put things right 12 months on. Head coach Shaun Wane is not a man who's scared of admitting how desperate he is to win, and his side can take heart from several good performances against the Rhinos already this season.

Grandfinal rugby tends to be a little cagier than usual, but both of these sides are flair attacking units, with solid defensive capabilities to back that up. Both coaches will want their side to play on the front foot, throw the ball about a bit and go in to their sets with no fear, rather than abandon the brand of rugby that has carried both to the showpiece occasion.

Unlikely to come alive straight away, this one could come to the boil in the second half, with the backline each side possesses capable of putting points on the board regardless of their field position.

Likely to be another great advert for the sport, this game comes hot on the heels of a series of fantastic matches in the sport. Down in Australia, the NRL Grandfinal last Sunday was decided in extra-time by a Golden Point drop goal, after a last second try from eventual champions North Queensland Cowboys tied the scoring in dramatic fashion. In their semi-final, Wigan put on their own attacking masterclass, blowing the Huddersfield Giants away in spectacular fashion, persuading many that they should be installed as favourites for the competition.

Leeds though, lest we forget, have been dealing in nothing but late drama over the past few weeks, with Ryan Hall playing hero twice inside the last few minutes to win crucial matches.

That narrative that Leeds have built, propelled on by the storylines building around the club, is what could tip the balance in their favour on Saturday night. Everything, it seems, has been going to plan for the boys in blue and amber, with the belief that some things are just 'meant to be' swelling across the city.

Winning a treble, something the club have never achieved previously, is seen as the perfect way to wave goodbye to some of the greatest players to ever grace the game. Fairy-tale endings are usually saved for those on the silver screen, but this could be one of the great sporting stories should the Rhinos pull off another Old Trafford victory.

Wigan will, of course, give Leeds the stiffest competition imaginable. With the likes of George Williams in their ranks - recently named the Young Player of the Year and an England hopeful at stand-off - and Sydney Roosters bound prolific winger Joe Burgess, the Lancashire giants have more than their own fair share of threatening players.

Matt Bowen will play his last game for the club, forced out of the door after the club re-signed Sam Tomkins in preparation for next season, and inspirational captain Sean O'Loughlin will want to lift another championship for his hometown club.

Whatever happens this weekend, it's safe to say that the sport of rugby league will be extremely happy with the way in which it's growing. A sold out Old Trafford will be full to the rafters, and while across the city the national Union side will be bowing out a disappointing World Cup, the other code will be fully in the throws of its showpiece occasion. Wonder which stadium Sam Burgess would rather be in, eh?