2024 Super League Grand Final Explained

Year:2024
Betfred Super League Grand Final
Home:Wigan Warriors
Away:Hull KR
Home Abbr: WIG
Away Abbr: HKR
Home Half1:7
Home Half2:2
Home Total:9
Away Half1:0
Away Half2:2
Away Total:2
Date:12 October 2024
Location:Manchester, England
Mom Title:Rob Burrow Award
Mom:Bevan French
Anthem Title:Jerusalem
Anthem:Laura Wright
Referee:Chris Kendall
Attendance:68,173
Stadium:Old Trafford
Network: Sky Sports (live)
BBC Two (highlights)
Fox League
SuperLeague+
Tournaments:Super League Grand Final
Last:2023
Next:2025

The 2024 Super League Grand Final, named the 2024 Betfred Super League Grand Final for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th official Super League Grand Final and the championship-deciding rugby league game of the 2024 Super League season. The match saw Wigan Warriors take on Hull KR at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

Wigan Warriors were the defending champions, having won six titles including in 2023, while Hull KR were making their first appearance at a Grand Final, having last won a league title in the First Division, the Super League's predecessor, in 1985.

Wigan successfully retained their title with a narrow 9–2 victory to claim their seventh Super League title, and in doing so, become the first team in Super League era to win all 4 major trophies in the same year.

Background

Team
1 Wigan Warriors272205723338+38544
2272106719326+39342

Route to the final

Wigan Warriors

RoundOppositionScore
scope=row style="text-align:center"Semi-final Leigh Leopards (H)38–0
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue.

2023 Grand Final winners Wigan finished the regular season as league leaders, earning the Warriors a bye to the semi-final. They played the lowest ranked winner from the eliminators, which was the Leigh Leopards.

Final score: Wigan Warriors 38–0 Leigh Leopards[1]

Hull Kingston Rovers

RoundOppositionScore
scope=row style="text-align:center"Semi-final Warrington Wolves (H)10–8
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue.

Hull Kingston Rovers ended the regular season in 2nd place, having lost a highly contested match against Wigan in the 25th round of the season. The position earned them a bye to the semi-finals, where they would play the highest ranked winner of the Eliminators, which was the Warrington Wolves.

Final score: Hull Kingston Rovers 10-8 Warrington Wolves[2]

Pre-match

Broadcasting

The 2024 Super League season marked the introduction of the SuperLeague+ over-the-top streaming platform, allowing for the Grand Final to be broadcast globally on the platform alongside terrestrial broadcasters.[3]

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports aired the event, with highlights on terrestrial channel BBC Two.[4]

Sky Sport's coverage was shared globally with Fox League in Australia and the US, Digicel in the Pacific Region, Premier Sports in South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, ESPN Africa in Central and Southern Africa, Sportsnet in Canada, SportsMax in the Caribbean and Sportdigital in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Entertainment

Pre-match and half-time entertainment was provided by The Lathums.[5]

Officiating

Chris Kendall was the referee for the match, with Richard Thompson and Johnny Roberts as touch judges. Liam Moore was the video referee, while Jack Smith was the reserve referee.[6]

Team selection

The Wigan Warriors squad remained unchanged following their semi-final match against Leigh.[7]

Hull KR's centre Oliver Gildart was replaced by Jack Broadbent, following his performance in the semi-final against Warrington, while captain and loose forward Elliot Minchella, returned to the squad following a two-match ban, displacing Matty Storton to a substitution. Dean Hadley was assigned as second-row, having covered for Minchella as loose forward during his ban.[8]

Match

Details

Wigan WarriorsPositionHull KR
1Jai Field2Niall Evalds
235
31
436
5Liam Marshall5Ryan Hall
627Tyrone May
7Harry Smith7Mikey Lewis
88
1714
1616
2111
1212
1313
10Interchange9
1515
1917
2720
Head coach

Notes and References

  1. News: Wellens . Megan . Wigan Warriors 38-0 Leigh Leopards: Reigning champions put in dominant performance to book Grand Final spot . 6 October 2024 . Sky Sports . 6 October 2024.
  2. News: Wellens . Megan . Hull KR 10-8 Warrington Wolves: Robins make history and book spot in first ever Grand Final with close victory . 6 October 2024 . Sky Sports . 5 October 2024.
  3. Web site: How to watch the Betfred Super League Play-Offs . Betfred Super League . 6 October 2024 . 27 September 2024.
  4. News: Walker . Callum . 2024 Super League Grand Final set for largest attendance for at least six years . 6 October 2024 . Total Rugby League . 25 September 2024.
  5. News: Cook . Sam . RFL confirm chart-topping band to play Super League Grand Final . 6 October 2024 . Serious About Rugby League . 21 July 2024.
  6. News: Walker . Callum . Chris Kendall appointed as Super League Grand Final referee with Liam Moore as video official . 9 October 2024 . Total Rugby League . 7 October 2024.
  7. Web site: Wigan squad for Grand Final . Wigan Warriors . 13 October 2024 . 10 October 2024.
  8. News: Rej . Arindam . Hull KR Grand Final team news with Broadbent reward and Minchella back . 13 October 2024 . Hull Daily Mail . 12 October 2024.