Super League Grand Final Preview – October 13th, 2018 at 6.00 pm
The Super League XXIII season will be settled on the weekend at Old Trafford in one of the big highlights of Rugby League. It is Wigan v Warrington facing off for the spoils. This is a repeat of the Grand Final from two years ago when the Wigan Warriors edged the Wolves in a tight scrap. Wigan are the 4/7 odds-on favourites to take the win again* (betting odds taken on October 12th, 2018 at 6:24 pm).
Super League Grand Final Odds*
Wigan 4/7
Warrington 7/4
Draw 14/1
* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on October 12th, 2018 at 6:24 pm)
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Super League Regular Season
At the end of the regular season, the Wigan Warriors finished in second place behind winners St Helens. They posted a W16 D0 L7 record across the course of the season, finishing a big ten points behind the league leaders. Warrington finished three points back of the Warriors down in fourth place with a W14 D1 L8 record on the board.
Super 8’s
Following the seven extra matches played in the Super 8’s things didn’t change in the league standings. St Helens stayed top with Wigan in second and Warrington coming fourth behind Castleford.
That set up the play offs as St Helens v Warrington and Wigan v Castleford.
Warrington pulled off the big shock really in taking down St Helens, who had lost just four games all season. In the sixth round of the Super 8’s St Helens had hammered the Wolves 34-14 so an upset looked far from being on the cards. Tom Lineham scored a late try for the Wolves to complete the upset.
Wigan progressed through from their play off tie against Castleford winning 14-0 at the DW Stadium.
2018 Super League Grand Final
Warrington are in their fourth Grand Final while Wigan Warriors in their 10th Grand Final. Wigan are the favourites and they created a bit of history in the Super 8’s, becoming the first team ever to will all seven of their games in that section. This is the last time the Super 8’s format is being used, so the record won’t be matched.
It is worth looking at the differences in terms of scoring and defence between the two sides at the end of the season (not counting the play off matches). Warrington actually outscored Wigan 767 to 740, which was a turnaround as they trailed the Warriors by 42 points at the end of the regular season.
The Warriors had a much better defensive record conceding 417 points to the 561 shipped by Warrington. Wigan finished with a points difference of +323 while the Wolves had a points difference of +206. The top try scorer for the Wolves was Tom Lineham with 18 and he is at 6/4 in the anytime try scorer market* (betting odds taken on October 12th, 2018 at 6:24 pm).
The top scorer for the Warriors was Liam Marshall with 16. Tries for the season. Wigan’s Dominic Manfredi is the 7/4 favourite in the market* (betting odds taken on October 12th, 2018 at 6:24 pm).
This Season’s Meetings
Round 3
Warrington 16 Wigan 10
Round 15
Wigan 38 Warrington 10
Round 20
Wigan 13 Warrington 12
Super 8’s
Wigan 26 Warrington 6
Third Grand Final Meeting
This is the third time that Wigan and Warrington have met in the Grand Final. Wigan won both of the previous meetings, in 2013 and in 2016. The Warriors took a big fourteen-point victory in the 2013 final over the Wolves, while it was just down to six in 2016.
Prediction
That was some performance that Warrington pulled out of their hat in the play offs to take down red-hot favourites St Helens. It may be hard for them to top that and the defence of the Warriors is so good. Wigan are on a nine-match winning streak and they have conceded just 92 points in that run of games.
We see more misery coming the way of the Warrington Wolves on their big occasion, but we are expecting a tight duel nonetheless. Warrington are 11/10 at a +4 Handicap* (betting odds taken on October 12th, 2018 at 6:24 pm) as we can see them getting close but not quite having enough to totally break that Wigan defence.
