Super League: Phil Clarke looks ahead to this weekend's Grand Final

The season is all but over as the last two teams left standing are set to do battle at Old Trafford in a repeat of the 2010 Grand Final.

So this is what we’ve been waiting for, the Grand Final. In some ways it’s rugby league’s equivalent to the Grand National; a tortuous and gruelling race which sees so many competitors fall at the hurdles in front of them. Only St Helens and Wigan are left as we approach the last barrier, a night under the lights at Old Trafford.

Super League Grand Final 2014

It’s a repeat of the 2010 Grand Final, which the Warriors won 22-10. St Helens also lost there in 2011 but have recently said that they are a ‘forward looking club’ and do not wish to dwell on previous defeats in Manchester. However, a quick look back at the game from four years ago might be a useful reminder of that they’ll face this weekend. Some things change, but some things stay the same.

Wigan’s defensive line speed was so fast at the start of the game that St Helens came up with a handling error in their own half of the field. Wigan then used their familiar attacking formation, brought to this country by Michael McGuire and copied by so many teams throughout the country, where they used three decoy runners and passed the ball behind all three of them to the second runner behind him. This created time and space for Martin Gleeson to score out wide. The second try by Wigan was also something that Nathan Brown’s team will need to deal with this week.

Wigan shifted the ball with long, accurate passes in their own half of the field and will attempt to do this again on Saturday night. St Helens had compressed their defence, thinking they could control Wigan, but left too much space out wide. The St Helens left winger was about 20 metres from the left touchline and the Warriors transferred the ball to their speedsters in the space. In the end Gleeson went over for his second try and the Saints faced a hurdle they couldn’t get over.

Setbacks

There are only a few players remaining from the teams who walked out in 2010 and Matthew Smith will this time play for Wigan not St Helens. But the approach from the Warriors will be the same. They still put more defenders into each tackle than their opponents, and are far more effective in how they control and wrestle the man to the ground. Other teams try to do the same, but never achieve it with the same success. Making ground and playing the ball quickly against Wigan is St Helens’ major focus, in my opinion.

They’re like a Formula 1 car that has hit major engine problems with ten laps to go. Do they have enough power to get over the winning line first?

In some ways St Helens had an easier game to get to the Grand Final. They didn’t endure the nervous experience that Wigan did in their late win over Warrington. It was a match that reminded me of the 1989 Challenge Cup semi-final that Wigan eventually won at Maine Road, Manchester. In that final Wigan beat St Helens 27-0, though I can’t see that happening this time.

It has been a remarkable effort by St Helens to get to Old Trafford. Imagine if you took Matt Bowen, Matt Smith and Sean O’Loughlin out of the Wigan side, which is effectively what has happened to St Helens having to play without their first choice full back, scrum-half and best attacking back rower. They’re like a Formula 1 car that has hit major engine problems with ten laps to go. Do they have enough power to get over the winning line first?

It’s the absence of Luke Walsh’s attacking kicks which may well be the biggest difference between the two teams. Last week we saw Jordan Turner, James Roby, Lance Hohaia and Mark Flanagan kick for the Saints in play, but none have the accuracy of their number 7. Even if Walsh had been fit, I believe that Matt Smith is a more dangerous kicker when he gets the ball in the opponents half of the field. In the last four games, St Helens have forced their opponents into two goal line drop outs, while Wigan have managed to do this nine times. If you took the last ten games, St Helens have forced 18 repeat sets, but they needed kicks by Wilkin and Walsh for seven of them.

St Helens lack of recent success at the Grand Final cannot take away from the fact that they will be appearing there for the tenth time. It’s pretty amazing when you think that there have only been 17 such events. They have demonstrated the resilience to overcome the setbacks and obstacles they’ve faced this season, but this Saturday will be the biggest.

Presence

They were embarrassed in the second half of the Good Friday derby with Wigan but played extremely well to win at the DW Stadium in Round 18. Both Wilkin and Walsh started that day but they effectively played the last 60 minutes without their first choice scrum-half after he left the field with a back problem, yet they still won. Tommy Makinson scored two brilliant tries back then, sadly in recent matches he’s not had the quantity nor quality of ball that he had earlier this year. The adaptive qualities of the St Helens squad are what makes this match so fascinating. Can they find a way to win without three of their most important cogs?

Wigan are also in another successful era and have won seven trophies in the seven years since Ian Lenagan took ownership of the club. They’re proud of the fact that they’ve never lost a final in this country during that time.

I understand that rugby league can sometimes appear as a northern sport. The two towns in the Grand Final are less than 10 miles apart and the Final is a 30 minute bus journey for the players. However we have an important London and Welsh presence that must be acknowledged.

One of St Helens’ most important players in the second half of the season has been London-born Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook. He’ll play against his former team mates from the London Broncos, Tony Clubb, and arguably Wigan’s best signing in the last 10 years - Dan Sarginson. Wigan’s recruitment has also benefitted from the rugby league development work that took place in Wales about five to ten years ago. Gil Dudson has only played in half of the games this year and may not run out at Old Trafford but the Warriors would not be where they are without him and without the power provided by Ben Flower. When the Celtic Crusaders disappeared, Lenagan was quickest to pick up the best players who have made a lasting impression on the League.

Thank you

Thank you, thank you, thank you! To the players, coaches, officials, ball boys, cheer girls, groundsmen and mascots, it’s been a great season and I’m grateful for the fun and memories it’s provided.

Congratulations to the Hunslet Hawks for their season on and off the field. It seems obvious to me that some sports clubs should be run and managed by their supporters and it appears to be working for them. Don’t overspend on players, get people with a passion involved and make your team a real part of the community. Good luck in 2015.

Leigh Centurions must also be praised for their outstanding efforts this year. They pushed the eventual Challenge Cup holders harder than anyone else and lost just once in a fiercely competitive league. The town and the team are making great progress and there’s no doubt that Leigh Sports Village has acted as a positive catalyst for change. Some of the people who were at the club when they last played in Super League are still there and have the mental scars and painful memories to prove it. I hope that the club has learned some valuable lessons from the past and maintains a sustainable policy for continued progress.

With a great infrastructure and facilities, lots of local talent and an ambitious mind-set they have a bright future.

Finally, I’d like to wish the England team good luck as they head Down Under. On paper the squad looks very dangerous and they have a chance for some great memories and experiences. If they get off to a good start and the ball bounces their way they could come back as winners. Enjoy it, have fun and make history.