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2010 Super League Grand Final

The 2010 Super League Grand Final was the 13th official Grand Final and conclusive and championship-deciding game of Super League XV. Held on Saturday 2 October 2010, at Manchester's Old Trafford stadium, the match was contested by English clubs St. Helens and Wigan Warriors. The final saw Wigan, who also finished League leaders, win 22-10,[1] taking over the crown of Super League champions from the Leeds Rhinos, who had held the title for 3 years. This was St. Helens' fifth consecutive Grand Final and their fourth consecutive Grand Final defeat, having won in 2006 and then lost three Grand Finals to Leeds between 2007 and 2009.

2010 (2010) Super League Grand Final  ()
2010 Super League logo
Wigan Warriors St Helens
22 10
12 Total
WIG 166 22
STH 64 10
Date2 October 2010
StadiumOld Trafford
LocationEngland Manchester
Harry Sunderland TrophyNew Zealand Thomas Leuluai
( Wigan Warriors)
HeadlinersDiana Vickers
RefereeRichard Silverwood
Attendance71,526
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters
Commentators
← 2009
2011 →

Background

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Further information: 2010 Super League season results
# Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1   Wigan Warriors 27 22 0 5 922 411 511 44
2   St. Helens 27 20 0 7 946 547 399 40

Route to the Final

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Wigan Warriors

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See also: 2010 Wigan Warriors season
Round Opposition Score
Qualifying Play-off   Leeds Rhinos (H) 27-26
Preliminary Semi-Final   Hull Kingston Rovers (H) 42-18
Qualifying Semi-Final   Leeds Rhinos (A) 26-6
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue.

St Helens

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See also: 2010 St Helens RFC season
Round Opposition Score
Preliminary Semi-Final   Warrington Wolves (H) 28-12
Qualifying Semi-Final   Huddersfield Giants (H) 42-22
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue; (N) = Neutral venue.

Pre-match

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Pre-match entertainment was provided by a performance from Diana Vickers.[2] Rhydian Roberts sang Jerusalem and then a minute's silence was also observed for Terry Newton who had died the previous weekend[3] before St Helens, wearing blue with white (as both sides' traditional colours are red and white), kicked off.

Match details

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Wigan's captain, Sean O'Loughlin, was the only player who also played in his team's previous grand final in 2003.[4]

Wigan Warriors Position St Helens
6   Sam Tomkins Fullback 1   Paul Wellens
24 Darrell Goulding Winger 30   Jamie Foster
3   Martin Gleeson Centre 3   Matthew Gidley
4   George Carmont Centre 5   Francis Meli
5   Pat Richards Winger 24   Jonny Lomax
19   Paul Deacon Stand Off 12   Jon Wilkin
7   Thomas Leuluai Scrum half 34   Matty Smith
8   Stuart Fielden Prop 10   James Graham
15   Michael McIlorum Hooker 9   Keiron Cunningham (c)
10   Andy Coley Prop 15   Bryn Hargreaves
11   Harrison Hansen 2nd Row 11   Tony Puletua
12   Joel Tomkins 2nd Row 4   Sia Soliola
13   Sean O'Loughlin (c) Loose forward 13   Chris Flannery
9   Mark Riddell Interchange 14   James Roby
14   Paul Prescott Interchange 17   Paul Clough
17   Iafeta Paleaaesina Interchange 22   Andrew Dixon
25   Liam Farrell Interchange 25   Jacob Emmitt
  Michael Maguire Coach   Mick Potter

In the fourth minute Wigan were twelve metres out from St Helens' try-line when, on the fifth tackle, they passed it through the hands out to the right side where centre Martin Gleeson forced his way through the defence.[7] The video referee awarded the try and Pat Richards' conversion attempt missed so the Cherry & Whites were in front 4-0. At the fifteen-minute mark Wigan were working the ball out of their own half when they again moved the ball out to the right where Sam Tomkins made a break and then passed back inside to Thomas Leuluai in support. Leuluai then passed to Deacon who passed for Gleeson to cross untouched, putting the ball down behind the uprights for his second try.[8] Richards kicked the simple conversion so Wigan were in front 10-0. About three minutes later Wigan had again made their way up to within spitting distance of St Helens' try line where they passed the ball quickly out to right winger Darrell Goulding to dive over in the corner untouched.[9] Richards' sideline conversion was successful so The Warriors now led 16-0 with little over a quarter of the match gone. In the twenty-eighth minute St Helens had managed to make their way up inside Wigan's ten-metre line where Jon Wilkin got the ball and ran back inside across the defensive line, passing to Andrew Dixon who ran untouched through a gap for a close-range try.[10] The simple conversion was kicked by Jamie Foster so St Helens were trailing 16-6. No more points were scored in the remaining minutes so this was the half-time score.[5]

 
Crowds during the match

Pat Richards did not return to the field after the break due to an Achilles tendon injury.[11] In the fourth minute of the second half, Wigan were almost over St Helens' twenty-metre line when the ball went to Leuluai who dummied his way through a gap in the defence and managed to evade several more tacklers before clambering his way to the try line where it was ruled by the video referee that the ball was stripped from him. A penalty was awarded to Wigan and the option to kick was taken, but Riddell missed.[12] St Helens then enjoyed some possession but failed to convert their chances into points before Wigan were on the attack again by the fifty-third minute. From twelve metres out the ball was played and passed right, finding Sam Tomkins who dummied and took on the defensive line, somehow managing to maintain his momentum and reach out of a two-man tackle to plant the ball over the line.[13] Riddell missed the conversion attempt badly so Wigan were leading 20-6. A few minutes later the Cherry & Whites got a penalty in an easy kicking position and Riddell got the two points, extending the lead to 22-6. In the sixtieth minute Wigan crossed St Helens' line again but it was called back by the video referee due to obstruction.[14] Wigan were awarded a penalty ten minutes later and took the kick, but Tomkins' attempt missed, leaving the margin at sixteen points with ten minutes of the game remaining. In the seventy-fourth minute St Helens had made it into the opposition's quarter of the field where they swung the ball out to Francis Meli to score on the left wing.[15] Foster missed the sideline conversion attempt, so the score was 22-10 in favour of Wigan.[16] No more points were scored in the remaining minutes of the match so it was Wigan who celebrated their first championship since 1998.

Thomas Leuluai was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as the Grand Final's man-of-the-match.[17] Wigan's new Australian coach Michael Maguire had won a championship in his first season as a head coach. For St Helens' it was their fourth consecutive grand final defeat and a disappointing exit from the game for their retiring captain Keiron Cunningham in his 496th game.[18]

Wigan's celebrations continued the following day with the team's open-top bus tour from JJB Sports HQ at Martland Park into Market Place, Wigan attracting thousands of fans despite rainy weather.[19][20]

2011 World Club Challenge

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By winning the grand final, the Wigan Warriors had earned the right to play against the 2010 NRL grand final-winners, the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the 2011 World Club Challenge in February.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "St Helens 10 Wigan 22". BBC Sport. 2 October 2010. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  2. ^ "St Helens v Wigan Warriors – engage Super League Grand Final". purpleclouds.co.uk. Purple Clouds Photography. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  3. ^ Wilson, Andy (4 October 2010). "Wigan's Martin Gleeson dedicates Grand Final triumph to Terry Newton". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  4. ^ "St Helens Vs Wigan Warriors: Grand Final Stats". rugbyleaguetoday.co.uk. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  5. ^ a b Soneji, Pranav (2010-10-02). "Super League Grand Final as it happened". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
  6. ^ Hadfield, Dave (4 October 2010). "Maguire proves the guiding light as revitalised Wigan roll back the years". The Independent. UK: independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  7. ^ "Gleeson strikes as Wigan claim Grand Final glory". espn.co.uk. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  8. ^ Wilson, Andy (2 October 2010). "Wigan turn St Helens into sinners with Super League Grand Final win". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  9. ^ Burke, David (3 October 2010). "Wigan 22 St Helens 10". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  10. ^ "2010 Grand Final match report". superleague.co.uk. Super League. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  11. ^ AAP (3 October 2010). "Man of Steel Richards leads Wigan to silverware". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  12. ^ "Wigan 22 St Helens 10". Manchester Evening News. 2 October 2010. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  13. ^ Lancaster, Rob (2 October 2010). "Warriors too good for Saints". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  14. ^ "Grand final heartache". St Helens Reporter. 4 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  15. ^ AFP (3 October 2010). "Gleeson steers Wigan to Super League title". ABC News. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  16. ^ AAP (3 October 2010). "Wigan wins Super League". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  17. ^ AFP (3 October 2010). "Wigan defeat St Helen's for Super League title". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  18. ^ AFP (3 October 2010). "Wigan defeat St Helens in English Super League grand final". Fox Sports. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  19. ^ Wilson, Andy (3 October 2010). "Wigan prepare to slay Dragons after crushing St Helens in Grand Final". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  20. ^ "Heroes' welcome". wigantoday.net. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
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