Super League Grand Final: Micky Higham remembers epic Wigan-St Helens clashes
Friday 10 October 2014 15:47, UK
Micky Higham played for both Wigan and St Helens in the Super League Grand Final - and is strictly neutral as a spectator, writes Sky Sports News' Vinny O'Connor.
A few minutes in the company of Higham and it quickly becomes apparent he’s as much a rugby league fan as a player.
“I can feel the buzz and I’m not even part of it, which is killing me inside,” was how he summed up his emotions ahead of a Grand Final where he finds himself stuck in the middle having represented both sides in Saturday's clash at Old Trafford.
So it was appropriate that we met at The Masons Arms in Billinge where Saints/Wigan memorabilia covers the walls of a pub that, come kick-off, will have split loyalties. And with Micky having represented both Grand Finalists with distinction, he knows a thing or two about the emotion this kind of occasion stirs.
“I remember my first derby playing for Saints,” he reminisced. “My first scrum when I packed down, the late Terry Newton just stuck the head on me and said 'welcome to Super League young man'.”
Only once did Higham need reminding of the importance of the fixture.
“We had a morning training session before the Wigan game. The clocks had gone forward and me and Keiron Cunningham came in an hour late. Everybody’s in the video room, ‘where’ve you been?’ they asked, and immediately we both replied we’d been out on the field doing extras.
"Afterwards Ian Millward pulled me to one side and said ‘listen, this is a Wigan Saints Derby you should have slept here last night.’ I was like 'wow', this is how much it does mean, it was a steep learning curve and it never happened again.”
The key this weekend then will be dealing with the enhanced sense of occasion that a local derby with the ultimate prize at stake creates.
“You do get that dry mouth, you get heavy legged and you’ve got to overcome that you’ve got to learn to deal with that. It’s great that you’ve got that little bit of nerves and emotions because I think you should have, certainly in a game like this, and it’s probably just managing that.”
Before Higham left there was an assurance that anyone who sees him at the Grand Final will confirm his neutrality…..while the closest he came to making a prediction was to ‘hope for a draw.’
You can watch the Super League Grand Final live on Sky Sports 1 on Saturday, KO 5pm
