Wigan Warriors are your Super League Champions after defeating Catalans 10-2 at Old Trafford last night.
It was a tight and tense Grand Final between the top two in the Betfred Super League.
The game was all square at halftime at 2-2 but a Liam Marshall try in the second half proved crucial in giving Wigan the win.
Harry Smith sealed the win with a penalty to make it 10-2.
There were so many narratives ahead of the game including the attendance.
In 2021, the Grand Final recorded an attendance of only 45,177 fans. But this was impacted by the pandemic.
Within days of defeating St Helens in the semi-finals, Catalans had sold 1,000 tickets and had three chartered planes planned, a figure that rose to five by the end of the week.
In total, 3,000 fans made the trip over from France with the RFL expecting an attendance of at least 55,000 but pushing towards 60,000.
Later in the week, 57,000 was the figure that emerged as the expected attendance. Either way, a massive increase on the 2021 decider and a great effort from the French fans who showed their passion with a pitch invasion after Sam Tomkins’ historic match winning try against St Helens which secured their place in the decider becoming only the sixth side after Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, Bradford Bulls, St Helens and their opponents to reach more than one Grand Final.
Being there before didn’t deter their fans from attending this year. In fact, a vastly improved attendance of 58,137 was recorded.
A massive improvement on the 2021 Grand Final but less than last year. It is also only superior to three more attendances and they are the first three Grand Finals.
Super League Grand Final attendances:
1. 2015 – Leeds 22–20 Wigan: 73,512
2. 2017 – Leeds 24–6 Castleford: 72,827
3. 2006 – St Helens 26–4 Hull: 72,575
4. 2010 – Wigan 22–10 St Helens: 71,526
5. 2007 – Leeds 33–6 St Helens: 71,352
6. 2012 – Leeds 26–18 Warrington: 70,676
7. 2016 – Wigan 12–6 Warrington: 70,202
8. 2014 – St Helens 14–6 Wigan: 70,102
9. 2011 – Leeds 32–16 St Helens: 69,107
10. 2008 – Leeds 24–16 St Helens: 68,810
11. 2013 – Wigan 30–16 Warrington: 66,281
12. 2005 – Bradford 15–6 Leeds: 65,728
13. 2003 – Bradford 25–12 Wigan: 65,537
14. 2004 – Leeds 16–8 Bradford: 65,547
15. 2018 – Wigan 12–4 Warrington: 64,892
16. 2019 – St Helens 23–6 Salford: 64,102
17. 2009 – Leeds 18–10 St Helens: 63,259
18. 2002 – St Helens 19–18 Bradford: 61,138
19. 2022 – St Helens 24–12 Leeds: 60,783
20. 2001 – Bradford 37–6 Wigan: 60,164
21. 2023 – Wigan 10-2 Catalans: 58,137
22. 2000 – St Helens 29–16 Wigan: 58,132
23. 1999 – St Helens 8–6 Bradford:50,717
24. 2021 – St Helens 12–10 Catalans: 45,177
25. 1998 – Wigan 10–4 Leeds: 43,533
26. 2020 – St Helens 8-4 Wigan: N/A
The 2023 Super League Grand Final saw Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons butt heads. The top two after the regular season level on points with one another and Champions St Helens.
Thus, this made for the most apt Grand Final as Wigan chased a sixth Super League title and Catalans Dragons battled to become the first new team since 2004 to lift the Super League trophy.
Their appearance at Old Trafford made history itself as they became only the sixth different team to reach more than on Grand Final after Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, Bradford Bulls and St Helens as well as their opponents Wigan Warriors.
Thus, it was posed to be a historic Grand Final in which former Wigan star Sam Tomkins was set to play a huge role in what was his final ever game before retirement.
