Wigan storm back to win Super League Grand Final

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Josh Charnley signed off his decorated Wigan Warriors career in perfect style with the decisive try in their 12-6 Super League Grand Final win over Warrington Wolves on Saturday.

The wait goes on for Warrington — 61 years and counting — as their season ended in all-too-familiar disappointment, but in truth Wigan deserved this victory.

And they earned it the hard way. With the likes of hooker Michael McIlorum, Joel and Sam Tomkins, Lee Mossop and Dom Manfredi all ruled out through injury they had to front up this season.

And after losing in the last two successive Grand Finals, Wigan were not to be denied this year –- coming behind from a 6-2 half-time deficit after Dec Patton’s first-half score for the Wolves.

Oliver Gildart and Charnley -– with the 164th try of his career on his final game –- turned the tide to seal a famous victory in front of a Grand Final crowd of 70,202 at Old Trafford.  

In a match-up that was billed by many as a clash of Warrington’s free-flowing attack against Wigan’s much-vaunted defence, it was actually the Warriors who began on the front foot.

And while they could not cross the whitewash -– the closest they came was an Anthony Gelling forward pass with the try-line beckoning -– they did open the scoring with a Matty Smith penalty from bang in front.

But as the first half wore on the Wolves began to find their feet and they should have had the game’s first try when Ryan Atkins knocked on with the try-line looming large.

But that mistake did not cost them too much, Patton grabbing the first try of the 2016 Grand Final soon after as he dummied his way past John Bateman to slide over.

The 21-year-old Patton, keeping a fit-again Chris Sandow on the Wolves bench, looked completely at home as he banged over the extras for a 6-2 lead.

Errors began to creep into the Wigan game thereafter, Charnley and Dan Sarginson both making uncharacteristic mistakes under the high ball.

But Tony Smith’s Wolves could not make their territory count and the half ended with Wigan back on the front foot, but still trailing 6-2.

– Wigan ramp up pressure –

Wigan’s struggles under the high ball continued at the start of the second half and Atkins looked like he had scored a second Wolves try. But the television match official spotted the centre had spilled the ball over the try-line and Wigan took full advantage of their stay of execution.

Liam Farrell picked a beautiful line to burst through and he fed Gildart, who beat the cover to go over in the left corner. Smith’s tough conversion faded wide so the scores were tied at 6-6 with the hour mark approaching.

Wigan were in the ascendancy and it was the two departing stars, Charnley and Sarginson, who combined for the decisive score.

The Gold Coast Titans-bound full-back stabbed a clever kick through to the right corner and Charnley did what he does best, dotting down for his 20th of the season.

Smith’s conversion was off target again but he added a penalty in the final 10 minutes to open the Cherry & Whites’ lead out to six.

The Wolves were given one last throw of the dice in the final moments after Smith kicked out on the full but Wigan’s defence held firm to seal their second Super League title in the last four years.