Super League Grand Final: St Helens v Wigan Warriors preview
Last Updated: 11/10/14 11:24am
Wigan will be looking to make it back-to-back Grand Final triumphs on Saturday when they take on arch-rivals St Helens at Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports.
The Warriors came from behind to beat Warrington Wolves in last year’s final, while Saints, who last lifted the trophy in 2006, are out to atone for five successive defeats in Manchester since.
In 2010 they were beaten 22-10 by Wigan, while their four other heart-breaking defeats at the Theatre of Dreams came at the hands of Leeds Rhinos.
Both teams arrive in Manchester for this year's showpiece full of confidence, with Wigan toppling Huddersfield and Warrington in the playoffs and St Helens brushing aside Castleford and Catalan Dragons in their two outings.
The teams were evenly matched during the regular season, the Warriors claiming an impressive 33-14 Good Friday win at Langtree Park before Saints exacted a measure of revenge with a 16-12 triumph at the DW Stadium.
St Helens coach Nathan Brown, who will be in charge of the team for the final time before he returns home to Australia, has added three-quarter Matty Dawson to his squad.
Forward battle
“The forward battle will determine the result on Saturday,” Brown told the club’s official website.
“We know they are coming and we will need to be up for it physically too. I'd be surprised if both sides aren't up for the collision and whoever wins those battles will determine who wins on the day.
"No one is tipping us; there isn't a soul that is backing us. From a pressure point of view there isn't any on us as no one is expecting us to win. A few weeks ago Wigan would have rubbed their hands at playing us in a Grand Final.
"Well, this squad didn't believe what people were saying and now we are here. We will be giving it our best shot. We are tipping ourselves."
Wigan coach Shaun Wane, meanwhile, keeps faith with the side that beat Warrington in the semi-finals, with hooker Michael McIlorum set to defy a facial injury to start for the reigning champions.
There are 10 survivors from the side that triumphed 12 months ago; Blake Green is one of them, with the stand-off set to make his final appearance for the Warriors before heading home to join Melbourne Storm.
St Helens: Makinson, Turner, Jones, Swift, Hohaia, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Manu, Laffranchi, Flanagan, Amor, Wellens, Walmsley, Percival, Dawson, Richards, Thompson.
Wigan Warriors: Bateman, Bowen, Burgess, Charnley, Clubb, Crosby, L. Farrell, Flower, Gelling, Green, Hughes, McIlorum, O'Loughlin, Pettybourne, Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Taylor, Tomkins.