Grand Final 2023 preview

Old Trafford is on the horizon for Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons. The top two teams in Betfred Super League are just 80 minutes away from Grand Final glory.

Catalans are on the cusp of history. They have the chance to win their first ever Grand Final and in doing so, would become just the fifth club to achieve that feat in the Super League era.

For the Warriors - a club steeped in history - they have an opportunity to add another piece of silverware to their mightily impressive trophy cabinet.

There's Nothing Like The #GrandFinal ?@WiganWarriorsRL v @DragonsOfficiel on the biggest night of them all at Old Trafford ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/YOiTFBVq0H
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) October 12, 2023

Saturday will mark the first time these two sides have met in a major final. The Warriors are no strangers to Old Trafford, winning five Grand Finals since 1998.

Steve McNamara's Catalans side came agonisingly close to achieving Grand Final immortality two years ago during their first trip to the Theatre of Dreams, but ultimately fell short against St Helens.

They now have a shot at redemption in 2023 against a side that is entrenched in pivotal moments in Catalans' recent history.

The Dragons joined Super League in 2006. Their first competitive game ended in a famous 38-30 victory against their Grand Final opponents, Wigan.

A win for Catalans on Saturday would mark the beginning of a French revolution in Super League. But while one legacy begins, another will come to an end. Former Warrior and current Dragon, Sam Tomkins, will call time on his career on Saturday Night.

Setting standards & unprecedented impact ?

Ahead of @samtomkins1 final game in Saturday's #GrandFinal, we asked his @DragonsOfficiel teammates & coaches about what makes him so special ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/XENkMDaRdl
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) October 11, 2023

Tomkins won three Grand Finals with the Warriors and now has the chance to help the Dragons win their first Super League trophy.

And despite being on opposing sides on Saturday, there's a mutual respect between both teams. None more so than between Tomkins and his former Wigan teammate, Liam Farrell.

"For a very long time he's been an outstanding player," Farrell, who has won four Grand Finals, including three alongside Tomkins, explained.

"He deserves to go out in a Grand Final. He's shown how much he's an unbelievable player across his career.

"But at the same time, we'll show him the ultimate respect by giving him the best of us."

The Warriors have been at their best in recent months. They are unbeaten in their last 10 Super League fixtures, which included an utterly dominant display away at Catalans in August.

They last lifted the Super League trophy in 2018 during a decade in which they won the Grand Final four times. 

2018, the last time @WiganWarriorsRL won the #GrandFinal ?

Same again tomorrow at Old Trafford? ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/pVLRbGU3KQ
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) October 13, 2023

After missing out on Grand Final glory in the dying seconds in 2020, they have a chance for their own shot of redemption when they run out onto the hallowed Old Trafford turf this weekend.

And there will be no love lost between the two sides when they face off at Old Trafford on Saturday. Despite the respect and friendships that have developed over the years between players with strong links to both clubs - for 80 minutes, that's all forgotten.

"I've played against Wigan many times in the last five years," former Warrior, Tomkins explained.

"After the final hooter we'll be good friends again but for 80 minutes we're competitors. We play the sport to win. I know my friends [at Wigan] well and they're just as competitive as me. For 80 minutes we'll battle but after it we'll be friends again."

Witness the crowning of the 2023 Super League Champions at Old Trafford on Saturday. Enjoy the biggest night in the rugby league calendar by securing your seat here.