A season’s endeavours climaxed at Old Trafford with the 2025
Grand Final between minor premiers and Challenge Cup winners Hull KR and the
defending champions and Grand Final victors in the last two seasons, Wigan
Warriors.

Hull KR need to go one step better than last year and beat
their 2025 nemesis to become the fifth name on the trophy, joining St Helens,
Wigan, Leeds and Bradford, in so doing achieve a massive treble to show their
domination all season.

Despite finishing second on the table, Wigan’s Grand Final
experience saw them enter the game as favourites with a four-point handicap on
the coupon, but many pundits were unable to pick between the two sides as kick
off approached.

After two early handling errors from Hull KR, Liam Farrell
spilled a Bevan French pass with the line begging. On twelve minutes it looked
like Wigan had the lead when French pounced on a kick to the posts from Liam
Marshall to gather and seemingly ground, but the video referee spotted a
separation between ball and hand in the act of scoring.

A tip tackle from Brad O’Neill on Tyrone May resulted in a
massive fracas involving all twenty-six players. O’Neill was sat down for ten
minutes by the referee, somewhat lucky on the colour of the card. Within a minute
the Robins had made them pay, Mikey Lewis dropping the shoulder and ghosting through
the Wigan defence to score under the sticks. Arthur Mourgue added the
conversion for a 6-0 lead.

Still a man down, Wigan spilled the ball in the tackle five
from their own line on twenty-four. On the third tackle KR shifted the ball
quickly to the left wing with Joe Burgess taking the final pass and diving in
at the corner to score one handed. Rhyse Martin was wide left with the
conversion attempt, Hull KR having score ten points in the ten minutes that O’Neill
was off the field.

An offside from Martin in the dying seconds, fielding a
ricochet, gave Wigan the chance to kick for goal, Adam Keighran kicking a forty-five-metre
penalty goal to reduce the arrears to eight points.

KR rode their luck in the opening fifteen minutes and were
lucky not to be trailing by twelve, but a massive twenty minutes of pressure
meant that they were great value for their half time lead.

The second half was eight minutes old when Wigan ramped up
the speed as they cantered downfield from inside their own half, Jai Field
doing the work before finding Harry Smith in support to take the ball fifteen
out and go in next to the sticks. Keighran couldn’t add a simple conversion,
Wigan still four adrift.

The margin was back up to a converted try on fifty-three when
Martin kicked a penalty from just fifteen metres out after a two-man ball steal.

But the fightback was short lived. On the hour mark Jez
Litten took a Hiku pass ten from the line to carry over and ground.  Martin was able to find the target for 18-6,
Wigan needing three scores.

Two minutes from time Joe Burgess came out of the defensive line
to take an intercept pass and run twenty to dive in for the try which crushed
any remaining forlorn hopes that Wigan had of a famous comeback. Martin added
the conversion for a final score of 24-6.

It wasn’t a classic Grand Final but the players and fans of
Hull KR will not care about that as they become the fifth name on the trophy and
seal a treble after a sensational season. It was a game too far for Wigan who
looked overcooked and off their game as they chased a third consecutive win in
the showpiece event. Hull KR have been the best side all season and after
surviving a couple of early scares they bossed the game for the last hour and
never let Wigan get any momentum.

Hull KR: Mourgue (G 1/2), Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess (2T),
Lewis (T), May, Sue, Litten (T), McIlorum, Waera-Hargreaves, Hadley, Batchelor,
Minchella. Subs: Luckley, Whitbread, Martin (G 3/4), Litten. 18^th
Man: Broadbent. 

Wigan Warriors: Field, Miski, Keighran (G 1/2), Wardle,
Marshall, French, Smith (T), Byrne, O’Neill (SB on 1, Thompson, Walters,
Farrell, Ellis. Subs: Havard, Nsemba, Mago, Leeming. 18^th Man: Hill.

Half-Time: 10-2.

Full-Time: 24-6.  

Score Progression: (SB), 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 10-2 : HT: 10-6, 12-6,
16-6, 18-6, 22-6, 24-6 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Hull KR.

Referee: Liam Moore.

Attendance: 68,123.