Sam Burgess has given his verdict after Warrington Wolves made a first Super League Grand Final in eight years, reminding his team that they now must make the most of the opportunity they’ve earned.
Warrington went to Leeds and knocked off the Rhinos, handing them a fourth consecutive home defeat, as the Wolves won 14-12 to progress to Old Trafford.
Wire took the lead but the scores were level 12-12 at the break and Ewan Irwin’s contentious penalty was the only score of the second half, with Warrington showing a masterclass in how to see a game out.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, Burgess issued a firm reminder to his side: “We’re there now, so we’ve got to go and make the most of it”
He was also very vocal in his praise for Leeds, who were hit hard with injuries in the lead-up to the semi-final. Burgess commented: “I will say, Leeds have been dealt a tough blow through the week.
“A lot of players out, and I thought they were very courageous tonight. They’ve been unbelievable all year, and I thought the young players for them tonight brought so much energy. I must thank Leeds for a great contest.”
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Warrington Wolves learn lessons of the past to see crucial win out
As for his own group, he was full of praise, particularly in how they saw the game out as he relived the memories of the 2025 Challenge Cup Final when they lost late on to Hull KR.
Burgess said: “Again, I’m really proud of our group. We’ve had a great year together, very tough up and down. It was probably not a sharp performance tonight. We hit a really scrappy period, probably got out last-played a little bit but we kept fighting and kept hanging in and we’re going to the Grand Final.
“It was getting pretty tense. We’ve learned the lesson, hard, about time over the years, and the importance of time. Five minutes is a very long time when the clock stops, and we felt like in big games before, we’ve paid a price.
“We felt like that in games this year, we’ve not paid a price so I just wanted to make sure that we’re clear that with five minutes to go, we don’t stop playing. As we’ve said before, it can catch you out if you don’t stay in the fight.”
He admitted: “I was emotional at the back end of the game. You’re nervous as a coach, as always. You’re pretty nervous and I know the players really want to have another week together.
“I want them to experience that as the group together getting to this final week of the season. I think it’ll do all of them a world of good for the development of them as players and us as a club.
“I think it’s important that we’ve had this week now. We’re going to do our best with the opportunity.”
As for what this coming week in the lead-up to Old Trafford looks like, the Wire boss said: “The week’s going to be relatively normal. We want to enjoy it. We want to enjoy the week and make the most of it and get our best performance on the field.
“I want to do everything this week that’s going to help that. It’s the most important thing this week because getting there is one thing, making the most of the opportunity is the other thing, and obviously we have a game tomorrow night. We’ll see who we’re facing there.
“We’re going to sit back and relax a bit now. We get 24-48 hours, and then we get back to work on Monday.”
80 minutes completed and @WarringtonRLFC have secured their spot in the Grand Final 🔥
See you at Old Trafford 😎#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/bDaEBWSdlG
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 25, 2026
