Hull KR completed an historic treble after battering defending champions Wigan 24-6 in a pulsating Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Orchestrated by the irresistible Mikey Lewis, Rovers built an early lead and withstood an inevitable fightback to add the ultimate domestic accolade to their Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield triumphs.
Joe Burgess soared over for his second try in the final minutes after intercepting a desperate pass from Harry Smith to put the seal on a simply brilliant Rovers display and spark wild scenes among the Rovers contingent in the 68,853 crowd at the final hooter.
After a week in which the pre-match narrative had been all about seizing the moment, it had been Wigan who failed to grasp their early chances and from the moment Lewis jinked audaciously through for the opener midway through the opening period, Rovers, fleet-footed and near-impregnable, had the game in their grasp.
Joe Burgess added Rovers’ second, both tries coming during a period of numerical advantage after Brad O’Neill was sin-binned for a tip-tackle, and despite Smith giving Wigan hope in the second half, Rovers finished thoroughly in command and Jez Litten’s effort on the hour all-but sealed his side’s richly-deserved win.
Rovers had caused concern in the way they had somewhat limped through the last days of the regular season and needed no reminding of the 2024 final, in which they failed to capitalise on some early chances and Bevan French’s brilliant solo effort effectively sealed a low-scoring a rain-lashed affair.
One year on, the more favourable conditions had appeared to favour Matt Peet’s men but, with Rovers plainly nervous, they squandered two golden early opportunities, with captain Liam Farrell the first culprit when he fumbled a delicious underarm pass from French when bearing down on the line after just eight minutes.
An error from full-back Arthur Mourgue gifted Wigan their second chance five minutes later, French slipping through the Rovers defence only to drop the ball over the line under pressure from Lewis.
It was some comedown for the star of 12 months ago and having ridden their luck in the early stages, Rovers capitalised with brutal efficiency after O’Neill’s tip-tackle on Tyrone May sent the Wigan hooker to the sin-bin.
Two minutes into the power-play, Lewis impatiently demanded the ball during a sweeping right-left move and a sold a dummy to the flat-footed Farrell before barging over to put Rovers in front.
Mourgue’s conversion stretched the Robins’ lead to six and they were not done, pummelling the Wigan rearguard and reaching double figures after 27 minutes when Oliver Gildart sent fellow Wigan-born team-mate Burgess in for a superbly executed finish in the corner.
O’Neill’s reintroduction scarcely helped the favourites who stayed under the cosh for the remainder of the first period before Adam Keighran’s long-range penalty nudged them onto the scoreboard as the half-time hooter sounded.
It seemed like more of the same in the second half when Ethan Havard knocked on but the momentum threatened to take a dramatic turn after 49 minutes when Jai Field jinked his way into space and sent Smith roaring over for Wigan’s opener.
The blow for Rovers was mitigated by a missed conversion from Keighran, followed by a knock-on from Sam Walters at the other end that gifted Rhyse Martin the chance to kick his side back into a six-point lead at 12-6.
Rovers took a seismic step towards their historic first title on the hour mark when Litten started and finished another brilliantly orchestrated attacking move to touch down for his side’s third try.
Having briefly wobbled in the face of an inevitable Wigan fightback, Martin’s nerveless conversion lifted Rovers back in near-total control at 18-6 and Burgess put the seal on their victory when he raced clear off an interception and swan-dived over the line in front of the hordes of Rovers fans behind the posts.
