Key events
Thanks for reading, don’t miss Aaron Bower’s report:
Good night.
“My grandma died Christmas just gone, a lifetime Hull KR fan,” emails Joe.
“The year she goes they go out and get the treble!
“Thinking of her tonight and what a night! Come on Rovers.”
The Wigan head coach Matt Peet is asked: too many errors?
“Definitely. To get ourselves back in the game … We had to look after the ball in the second half and we failed to do so. But that’s also credit to the pressure that Hull KR were putting on us defensively … all the credit goes to them tonight. Tonight belongs to them. I’m very proud of my players but we just weren’t quite good enough tonight.
“I said to them – my pride in them, love for them, doesn’t depend on the performance tonight. It’s irrelevant. I know what they are as men, as players. What they do for this club.
“I just said, none of them should apologise for what happened out there tonight. We handled it the right way. We keep moving forward …
“Hull KR deserve it. To do what they have done, it doesn’t come down to one man, but Willie leads it very well. The board, the juniors, all the players and their families. They deserve everything they get. Every Grand Final is a story, and this one is about Hull KR.”
“The people of east Hull have waited a long time,” says Peters. “We’re a community-based club first. The fans are the most important people to us.
“Our fans do it tough. They have to fight for everything, and work for everything. And that’s what these players did tonight. I’m so proud.
“Mikey Lewis owned the big moments. He knew before this game he had to take those big moments and go after the game a bit more. Tonight was the perfect opportunity for him. I don’t want to get to far ahead, but tonight’s the making of Mikey Lewis, there’s no doubt about that. We know he’s a very good player … to chase greatness, you need to do this each year, but that’s the start of the journey, for me, in terms of where he can get to.
“They’re all legends to me. There’s four teams that have won the treble … St Helens won fours years in a row. They haven’t won the double or the treble. It is so, so hard to do. Champion teams will always be remembered as champion teams … this team is in that category now by winning the treble this year.
“The players are champions. We support them. So proud of them.”
Aaron Bower’s report is here:
Liam Farrell of Wigan: “Apart from the first 15, 20 minutes, they controlled the game very well. We’ve got a lot to learn from that.
“We didn’t give ourselves enough opportunities …
“They (Hull KR) have been extremely good … they’ve been consistent and very resilient. They deserve to win everything this year.”
“It might only happen once in my career,” says Mikey Lewis. “I’m just going to enjoy it with my family and my mates. And my teammates. I love them all.”
What’s he doing tonight?
“Partying.”
Reaction from Old Trafford coming up …
You can also email me if you like.
FT: Hull KR 24-6 Wigan. Rovers win the Grand Final
80 min: Fisticuffs to end it. Nsemba of Wigan’s shirt is partially ripped off.
It doesn’t matter. Hull KR have absolutely smashed it out of the park. The buzzer sounds and the celebrations can begin.
Collectively an absolutely crushing display, aided by some errors from Wigan, but that shows how much pressure they were put under.
Just the fifth time a team has won the treble in the Super League era. An amazing tale of redemption for Hull KR.
Try! 79 min: Hull KR 24-6 Wigan (Burgess)
Huge interception by Burgess! He’s in under the posts and dives over the line! What a way for Hull KR to seal it! What a performance. Martin converts and it’s all over.
76 min: Wigan launch what feels like one last desperate attack. They move the ball right, then left. Field tries a kick for the corner but it’s overhit. The ball bounces harmlessly out, and it feels like the celebrations for Hull KR’s supporters can start in earnest … a treble is on the way! The players must wait a few more minutes before they can celebrate a job well done.
74 min: Yet again Wigan are pinned back int their own half. French embarks on an angled run through midfield, putting in a grubber kick into space and forcing an error from Davies. With just over five minutes remaining they need a score and quickly.
72 min: “If you don’t like pressure, sign for another club.”
It was fighting talk from Peet before kick-off – but his players have come up short this evening and made a succession of errors in the face of Hull KR’s impressive intensity.
71 min: Hands on the ball for Lewis again for Hull KR. It looks like he briefly considers a drop-goal, just to turn the screw, but then he skips between a couple of would-be tacklers and is off into space again. He’s been a constant threat, and the head coach Peters will be thrilled with the performance of his stand-off.
69 min: Hull KR on the attack again, deep into their opponents’ half. Yet again it’s all hands on deck in the Wigan defence.
Would we have seen a different game if Wigan had taken those two early chances?
We’ll never know, but since then, Hull KR have been right in the faces of Peet’s side. They’ve been pretty much relentless and their error count has been lower.
66 min: Horrible knock-on by Marshall puts Wigan right under the pump again! The TV cameras go to the coaches: Peet looks suitably ashen-faced, while the Australian Peters looks so excited he’s ready to burst. Perhaps he knows that barring some sort of miracle, his Hull KR players are going to have enough from here.
64 min: Mourgue, who has been outstanding, claims another high kick and embarks on another elusive run into the waiting Wigan defence. He dodges a couple of tackles before Keighran stops him in his tracks.
Try! 60 min: Hull KR 18-6 Wigan (Litten)
Beautiful hands by Litten and Hiku and the hooker crashes over for what might be the decisive score! Martin converts. It’s a long way back for Wigan from here.
57 min: A knock-on gives Wigan a platform but Miski knocks on, on the right wing, much to the delight of Lewis, who shouts in his general direction.
Minchella is off for Hull, for what looks like a rest before what is promising to be a tense finale at Old Trafford.
Penalty! 53 min: Hull KR 12-6 Wigan (Martin)
Six points the lead for Hull.
53 min: Penalty for Hull KR for a deliberate knock-on! Martin has a chance to stretch the lead back to six …
52 min: A wonderful score by Wigan that feels like a big momentum-shifter. But can Hull KR reassert themselves?
Try! Hull KR 10-6 Wigan (Smith)
What a score! Field with a wonderful speedy run to the outside, breaking the defensive line, and then a dummy and switch back inside to Smith, who scorches to the line with the defence torn apart. A stunning score but Keighran pulls the conversion!
48 min: Lewis looks dangerous for Hull whenever he gets the ball in his hands. He’s always got his head up and is seemingly able to spot gaps others can’t.
46 min: Hull KR build a progressive attack to within a couple of metres but have to hand it over. Wigan end up kicking it back and Mourgue tidies up impressively at full-back and has a run.
44 min: A bomb goes up deep into the Wigan defence. Hull KR are keeping their opponents pinned back, right where they want them. Now a knock-on from Havard hands a scrum to Hull KR. They huddle together to celebrate another little win. It will be a big win if they get another score here.
42 min: Miski runs hard into contact for Wigan from deep. Will Hull KR look to play more of a territory game, and defend this eight-point lead?
Willie Peters (Hull KR): “It’s only 40 minutes. We need to go and build it again.”
Matt Peet (Wigan): “We started really well. We missed a couple of opportunities. Credit to Hull KR, they’ve been excellent.
“It’s a great opportunity for us. We need to get our defensive spacing right and get a bit of line speed into it.”
Half-time reading:
Penalty, and half time: Hull KR 10-2 Wigan
A sweet strike through the sticks from Keighran off the tee, under plenty of pressure, and those half time oranges will taste a little sweeter for Wigan now.
40 min: Martin is caught offside for Hull KR after the ball bounced off a teammate’s head, and Keighran will kick for the posts to end the half, trying to get Wigan on the board. This would be a big psychological boost.
39 min: On balance there’s no doubt Hull KR have won the physical battle in this first half. Their intensity and line speed in defence has been exceptional, after that little wobble at the start. French and Farrell may live to regret those missed chances early doors.
38 min: Lewis puts up a bomb for Hull KR deep into Wigan territory. Peet’s side are pinned back and will struggle to get on the board before half time at this rate.
34 min: Now Ellis coughs up possession for Wigan and Mikey Lewis pounces in midfield for an easy turnover! In truth there have been errors from both sides, but it’s Hull KR who have steadied the ship after enduring a difficult opening. Wigan, at the moment, appear to be falling apart slightly. A big team talk for Peet incoming.
32 min: Wigan’s Harry Smith opts for a low, raking kick for touch from a central position around halfway, seemingly to give his team a chance to reset. They are being put under serious pressure by their opponents who look energised by the lead they’ve built.
30 min: Hull KR’s Sauaso Sue has been receiving treatment on the sideline after taking that head knock early on.
29 min: Wigan are back up to the full complement of players with O’Neill’s time in the sin-bin over.
Try! 26 min: Hull KR 10-0 Wigan (Burgess)
Magnificent finish in the corner by Burgess! This is looking ominous for Wigan now … A mistake under the posts gave Hull KR a perfect attacking platform off a scrum and they didn’t let their opponents off the hook. Lewis this time chooses to spin the ball left rather than sell another dummy after a well-timed decoy move by the runner on his shoulder. Conversion missed by Martin.
26 min: A knock-on under the posts by Wigan and a massive attacking platform for Hull!
25 min: “Funny how O’Neill’s tackle goes upstairs for endless reviews, but Wairea Hargreaves head-on-head contact with French doesn’t get a second look,” emails Gareth.
24 min: Hull are on top now, not just because Wigan have a player in the bin. Peet is looking increasingly disillusioned as the TV director keeps returning to him sitting in the stand. There is some unusual inaccuracy from Wigan at times and they are having to defend for their lives.
Try! 20 min: Hull KR 6-0 Wigan (Lewis)
What a wonderful score by Lewis, who throws a sensational dummy, shimmies beyond a couple of would-be tacklers and sprints in under the posts! Mourgue converts. Lewis has already put in a couple of big moments in defence. Now he’s put his side in front after they’ve been on the back foot for most of this match!
18 min: It’s a yellow card! That’s possibly a bit lucky that it’s not a red? O’Neill is off for 10 minutes.
“He should shake the referee’s hand and walk off,” says the co-commentator.
18 min: That’s a horrible tackle by O’Neill and the anger of May’s Hull KR teammates was entirely justified. What are the officials going to decide?