Super League semi-final result: Wigan Warriors 18-6 Leigh Leopards
Wigan reach their 14th Super League Grand Final after bruising win against Leigh
Matt Peet's side will face winner of Saturday's semi-final tie between League Leaders' Shield winners Hull KR and St Helens
Game had been thrown into doubt after Leopards owner Derek Beaumont had said Leigh would not fulfil fixture over ticket row
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Live Reporting
Andrew Aloia
Night, y'allpublished at 22:20 BST 3 October
22:20 BST 3 October
FT: Wigan 18-6 Leigh
Image source, SWPIx
Wigan Warriors are making the familiar trip to Old Trafford for the Super League Grand Final.
It's a record-equalling 14th time that the Cherry and Whites will be at the big show.
Are we going to get a repeat of the 2024 decider with Hull KR? Or will St Helens manage to upstage the League Leaders' Shield and Challenge Cup holders to return to the English game's showpiece event for the first time since 2022?
Wigan & Saints vie for Women's Super League glorypublished at 22:17 BST
22:17 BST
Wigan v St Helens - Sunday, 5 October (17:30 BST)
Image source, SWpix.com
While we have a week to wait for the men's Super League Grand Final, the women's decider is upon us already!
Wigan Warriors, winners of the Women's Challenge Cup and League Leaders' Shield, will contest a derby at home against St Helens in the Grand Final on Sunday.
'The way it has ended is sad' - Lampublished at 22:15 BST 3 October
22:15 BST 3 October
FT: Wigan 18-6 Leigh
Leigh Leopards boss Adrian Lam told Sky Sports:
"I'm really proud of them but obviously it didn't go our way. Just some really big moment in the game just before half-time. You take that away and it becomes a different beast.
"I was just proud of the efforts tonight. We're getting there bit by bit and we're heading for the right direction.
"The penalty for obstruction on Edwin Ipape just before half-time I thought that was re frually frustrating. I was disappointed that penalty was given away and that changed the momentum of that first half and in the end that was really the difference.
"The way that it has ended is sad.
"Our goal now is to finish in the top two so we can finish at home. It's certainly an advantage with the week off and that's two times in a row we've ended our season here. The way the club's trajectory is going up since promotion to Super League is amazing and I'm enjoying the journey."
'These lads keep turning up for each other' - Peetpublished at 22:12 BST 3 October
22:12 BST 3 October
FT: Wigan 18-6 Leigh
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet told Sky Sports:
"Things we'll look back on and think we should have done better but these lads will keep turning up for one another.
"It's not often I'll single Jai and Bevan out because everyone does it for me but I just thought that the kicks he was fielding and the cover tackle - they were a handful all night.
"I thought we turned it round with more physicality in the second half. And for large parts I thought we controlled the field position and territory through some tough defence."
Attention turns to Hull...published at 22:09 BST 3 October
22:09 BST 3 October
Hull KR v St Helens - Saturday, 4 October (17:30 BST)
That's one down. Just one more to go!
Tomorrow, Challenge Cup holders and League Leaders' Shield winners Hull KR host St Helens in the other semi-final.
Rovers will be looking to take their quest for a treble all the way to Old Trafford next week, while St Helens are riding the high of that sensational play-off eliminator win against Leeds Rhinos last week.
Who will come out on top to set up a Grand Final showdown with Wigan Warriors?
'We managed to get on top of conditions' - Smithpublished at 22:07 BST 3 October
22:07 BST 3 October
FT: Wigan 18-6 Leigh
Wigan Warriors scrum-half Harry Smith told Sky Sports:
"I prefer to play in the rain than the wind like this. It's very hard for the kicking game. You saw in the first half that Leigh were able to dominate territory and we were able to do that in the second half due to the wind and kick chase alone.
"It was tough but we both got both ends of the barrel and we managed to get on top of it.
"I don't think it's sunk in what we've achieved to go for three in a row and go for three Super League Grand Finals but I'm just happy it's over because that was a very tough game."
'I'm really relieved' - Fieldpublished at 22:03 BST 3 October
22:03 BST 3 October
FT: Wigan 18-6 Leigh
Wigan Warriors full-back Jai Field told Sky Sports:
"Obviously it was a really tough game. Leigh have given us some trouble this year and they did again tonight so I'm really relieved.
"I think we had to grind. The wet weather and the wind brings that sort of game into it. It was back and forth with high completions so we completed really high in the back field today which went towards us getting the win.
"It's a collective effort, we have some tough middles who grind and tonight was down to them. Sometimes I'm just the beneficiary on the back line."
Bevan French scored two tries and had a hand in Wigan's third to seal victory.
His attacking brilliance was just part of the story, as the Warriors produced a Herculean defensive effort.
Jai Field has earned plaudits as man of the match, and it's hard to argue with that as his try-saving tackle on Owen Trout was the defining moment of the second half.
Matt Newsum Commentator on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra
Wigan have just bitten down on the gumshield and are finding that controlled aggression needed. This is Wigan at their most dominating and unrelenting.