Hull KR beat Wigan in Grand Final for historic treble

Betfred Super League Grand Final

Hull KR (10) 24

Tries: Lewis, Burgess 2, Litten Goals: Mourgue, Martin 3

Wigan (2) 6

Hull KR became only the fifth team to ever win a Super League Grand Final as they put in a stunning performance to beat Wigan Warriors at Old Trafford and seal a historic treble.

Only Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos, St Helens and their opponents Wigan had ever won in a Grand Final before they took to the field, and they ensured they would add a third trophy to their 2025 locker having already won the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield.

Brad O’Neill’s first-half yellow card for a tip tackle on Tyrone May proved decisive, with Mikey Lewis and Joe Burgess running in while the Cherry and Whites were depleted.

Despite KR’s commanding performance, it was Wigan who almost edged in front early on when Bevan French put in a defence-carving run to go in from Liam Marshall’s kick, but replays showed he dropped the ball before grounding.

A tempestuous opening, which had previously seen Jared Waerea-Hargreaves go in hard on French, came to a head when Wigan had O’Neill sent to the bin for his wayward tackle on May for which he was lucky not to see red.

And Hull KR wasted no time in making their advantage count as Lewis sold a sumptuous dummy to run in with ease right in front of Wigan’s supporters at the Stretford End for his 21st try of the season.

O’Neill’s yellow card became even more costly soon after as Hull KR worked the ball wide to Burgess, who touched down at the corner.

Wigan ended the first half with two points on the board after Adam Keighran’s audacious long-range penalty goal and, in much the same manner as Lewis’s first half score, Jai Field sold a tremendous dummy to send Harry Smith through.

Whereas the 2024 final was a tense and a low scoring affair, Hull KR flipped that script on its head with this year’s war of attrition.

Gone was the caginess of last year. And nerves? What nerves? This was a side made for the occasion, that knew they were on the cusp of greatness and took their opportunity.

Yet it might not have been that way as they were off the pace in the opening stages, and were lucky not to fall behind when they failed to pick up French on the turnover prior to his score being chalked off.

Other than that if they seemed unnerved by the occasion, knowing they were 80 minutes from a history-making treble, they did not seem to show it.

Much had been said in the build-up to the game about Hull KR’s recent and distant past – whether that’s relegation in the Million Pound Game in 2016 or finishing bottom of Super League in 2020.

Indeed, outside of some second-tier honours, you had to go back 40 years to the last time that the Robins reigned supreme.

Bolstered by the retiring Waerea-Hargreaves – who almost missed the game through suspension prior to KR’s successful appeal this week – and Micky McIlorum, they soon carved open Wigan and never looked back.

Lewis, the Robins’ talisman has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons but much like his team, this feels like the moment in his career where he truly came alive.

But this was a team performance. It wasn’t won by individual moments of brilliance.

It was a team display befitting of a treble-winning side and masterminded by an elite coach in Willie Peters.

From the glory of grabbing everything they could in 2024, Wigan’s 2025 campaign ends without a trophy.

Hull KR have long been the consistent side this term and they showed that in spades during this Grand Final.

Wigan, despite having the pairing of French and Field and having a matchday squad of 15 players from last season’s final, could not match Hull KR’s dominance and the Matt Peet era sees its first trophyless season as a result.

But this was an uncharacteristically poor Wigan display and, outside of a promising opening 10 minutes, they rarely looked like gaining a decisive foothold in the game.

Since Peet arrived in 2022, Wigan have seemingly played level-headed rugby which has paid off – resulting in trophies galore.

Yet they seemed unable to deal with Hull KR’s combative gameplan and heavy hitting, which proved O’Neill’s – and Wigan’s – downfall in a poor first-half showing.

Putting the blame solely at Wigan’s door would be unfair to Hull KR, who executed their plan with perfection and looked sensational in possession, attack and – for the most part – defence.

Hull KR: Mourgue; Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess; Lewis, May; Sue, McIlorum, Waerea-Hargreaves, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella

Interchanges: Litten, Luckley, Whitbread, Martin.

Wigan: Field; Miski, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Byrne, O’Neill, Thompson, Walters, Farrell, Ellis.

Interchanges: Harvard, Nsemba, Mago, Leeming.