Marshall v Hall and French v Lewis – Super League Grand Final key battles
The match takes place at Old Trafford on Saturday night.
Holders Wigan and debutants Hull KR are preparing to square up in an intriguing 2024 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday night.
Matt Peet’s men go into the game looking to become the first team to win the quadruple in the same season, having blitzed neighbours Leigh 38-0 in last week’s play-off semi-final.
But Rovers have been the emergent force this term and are confident of pulling off a win that would send the first major trophy since 1985 hurtling back to east Hull.
Here the PA news agency picks out four of the crucial battles that could decide the destiny of this year’s title.
Wing: Liam Marshall v Ryan Hall
Marshall will take some stopping after forging a scything partnership with centre Jake Wardle on Wigan’s left edge.
But who would bet against 36-year-old Hall, who already has six Grand Final wins to his name with Leeds, signing off his Rovers career in style?
Halves: Bevan French v Mikey Lewis
As evidenced in his stunning semi-final try against Leigh, French on his day can prove virtually unplayable.
But Lewis, who this week succeeded the Australian as Super League Man of Steel, has been the crucial factor in Rovers’ re-emergence, aligning a cool kicking game with a maturity that made the 23-year-old the season’s clear stand-out star.
Pack: Luke Thompson v Jai Whitbread
Whitbread, meanwhile, has proved one of the unsung stars of Rovers’ campaign, a hugely dependable and no-nonsense bulwark who will need to play another blinder to keep Wigan’s big men at bay.
Loose forward: Kaide Ellis v Elliot Minchella
Rovers captain Minchella also leads by example, his absence through suspension keenly felt in his side’s last two games, and, like French and Lewis, is capable of holding the destiny of this year’s title in his hands.
