Sky Sports experts give their views on the 2016 Grand Final
Saturday 8 October 2016 21:33, UK
Stevo, Brian Carney, Phil Clarke, Barrie McDermott and Bill Arthur give their verdict on who will win the Grand Final.
Warrington and Wigan will battle it out at Old Trafford on Saturday in a bid to be crowned Super League Champions.
Wigan are looking to avoid three successive defeats in the final, while Warrington will be desperate not to lose two finals in six weeks after their Challenge Cup loss to Hull FC.
Kevin Sinfield, who has won the Grand Final seven times with Leeds, says it's just too close to call and believes there are arguments for why both sides are able to win.
However, we put our pundits on the spot and asked them to pick a winner...
Live Super League Grand Final
Stevo
Not much in it between both sides who both have the potential skills to win.
Hooker Daryl Clark is key for Warrington and Wigan can't afford for him to take control at dummy half. He's fast, creative and clever.
But he will be wasted if the forwards can't give him the momentum he needs, because he can be negated by playing behind a beaten pack.
Wigan will apply their usual tough 'hit 'em hard' game in the opening twenty minutes to try and disrupt Warrington and force them into errors.
If the Wolves can absorb that early pressure I feel they have the skill factor to go on and win. Wigan's power game is hard to stop and could give young George Williams the room to create havoc.
Either way, if you are a gambling man then have a bob or two on both Clark and Williams for man of the match.
Barrie McDermott
This promises to be the tightest final in years as the teams who finished first and second in the table go head-to-head.
My heart says Warrington, but my head says Wigan. There is nothing to choose between the players - the engine room has Chris Hill and Ashton Sims versus Ben Flower and Frank-Paul Nu'uausala in a battle of brawn. While Matty Smith and George Williams versus Kurt Gidley and Declan Patton is a battle of the brains.
We are in for a crackerjack of a game. It might not be from a piece of finesse, so it might come down to who wants it more that gets the team over the line.
With a hair's breadth between them, I'm going for a Warrington win in extra time!
Brian Carney
Saturday's Grand Final is a case of the known against the known unknown.
With Wigan you know what you're going to get - the same structured attack that has served them so well over the last six years, but is in decline.
When the Warriors have to chase games they move away from that structure and look a much better side. They are committed, coherent and aggressive in defence and are the most consistent performers from first minute until last, but will that be good enough on Saturday?
With Warrington you're never sure what you're going to get. We have seen glimpses of how lethal and resilient they can be, and two games in particular stand out.
The first was their win at Catalans, one week after losing the Challenge Cup final, and the other was when they won the league leaders' shield at Hull.
Warrington travelled to the KCOM without Chris Sandow, Kurt Gidley, Ben Currie and Ben Westwood. Declan Patton and Stefan Ratchford played in the halves and they won 23-6.
The problem with Warrington is they can contrive to lose a game while 14 points and a man up. If the Wolves played with the same consistency as Wigan no-one would touch them.
Trench warfare favours Wigan and they will more than happy for Saturday's Grand Final to descend into that kind of game. It's something Warrington must avoid if they are to be crowned champions for the first time in 61 years.
Phil Clarke
When two great teams meet I've often said that it comes down to the 'bounce of the ball'. It's a rugby cliche that was applicable when the two teams last met at Old Trafford in 2013.
A Matthew Smith kick was charged down early in the second half, if it bounced in one direction it would most probably have led to a Warrington try, and most probably a win. It instead bounced back to Smith and Wigan went the length of the field very quickly to score.
It was the turning point in my mind but Warrington know that they can never relax against Wigan. They've lost out when they've had a 14-point lead in a Grand Final, and they've lost with a 14-point lead three weeks ago, playing against 12 men.
I think that there is very little between the teams and it would not surprise me if, like the £1million match, it went into extra time.
Bill Arthur
Wigan - tough, mean, aggressive, never say die attitude, capable of hanging in there and snatching the win, as proved at the HJ last month. But missing key players with big night experience.
Warrington - creative, fast, unpredictable, good defence, players in key positions in form and have edged it in meetings with Wigan this season.
Which to me suggests a Warrington win - but only just!
