 The 2015 season culminated with a showdown between the sides finishing the regular season in the top two spots, separated only by points difference, just as the purists would want it.
The Leeds Rhinos were looking for their seventh Grand Final win to secure a remarkable treble and send three of their finest servants in Sinfield, Peacock and Leuluai on to pastures new with yet another winners ring in their already stuffed personal treasure chests.
But Wigan Warriors were there to spoil the party as Shaun Wanes side looked to banish the memories of last season heart breaking loss to St Helens and maintain their major final hoodoo over the team from over the Pennines.
The game was too close to call, the only certainty was that it would be a cracker.
The Rhinos opened the game the brightest and had all of the early pressure but couldn't convert it into points and after sustaining the initial onslaught it was the Warriors who opened the Grand Final scoring with their first real attack of the game on five minutes.
When Liam Farrell broke the Leeds line and made forty metres he found Joe Burgess in support to cross in front of the gathered Rhinos fans and when Matty Bowen added the extras they were momentarily silenced. In just over a minute they rediscovered their voice as their side drew level.
When the Warriors knocked-on from the kick-off Leeds used the ball well and a Kevin Sinfield kick to the in-goal area was chased and grounded by Danny McGuire giving his skipper a simple conversion for 6-6. The record seventy-three thousand packed into Old Trafford were under no illusion, this was going to be a classic game to round off a classic season.
Leeds began to dominate bug it took a further twenty minutes before they took the lead. After pressurising the Wigan line, McGuire offloaded and Zak Hardaker picked up passing quickly to Joel Moon to dive over. After consulting the video referees, Thaler pointed to the spot for 10-6 to Leeds but with Sinfield missing the conversion it was a slender lead.
It was further extended five minutes from the interval with a brilliantly worked try down the right wing with Tom Briscoe and Kallum Watkins both playing their parts before an inside pass found Danny McGuire in support to go in for his second. Sinfield kicked the extras this time and led his side into the interval at 16-6. The Rhinos had been in almost total control and had given the Warrirors little opportunity to add to their solitary break-away try but even the Rhinos fans knew that Wigan would not be silenced for the full eighty.
Five minutes after the restart and the Rhinos nerves were set jangling as good pressure was turned into points thanks to a pinpoint Shaun O'Loughlin kick to the corner which was initially collected by Ryan Hall but then stolen by Dom Manfredi to stretch over and score one-handed. Matty Bowen was again accurate with the boot and cut the Leeds lead to four.
On fifty-eight the Warriors hit the front when Bowen stepped out of four Leeds attempted tackles to go under the sticks and give himself the simplest of conversions for an 18-16 lead. The Warriors had come out of the interval with all guns blazing and had bullied their way in front of a Rhinos side who looked to be tiring.
On the hour mark the lead was stretched to four thanks to a Bowen penalty after Watkins interfered at the play-the-ball.
Out of nothing the Rhinos regained the lead on sixty-three when a McGuire kick to the corner was knocked back by Ryan Hall into the hands of Joel Moon who passed inside to Jimmy Keinhorst who in turn found one of the new guard, Josh Walters, in support to crash through the last line of Wigan defence for a four pointer to level the scores at 20-20.
It was perhaps fitting that the Kevin Sinfield conversion which edged the Rhinos to a two point lead was the final scoring action of the game as the Rhinos greatest servant signed off his Leeds career.
The remaining seventeen minutes were full of incident, but neither side could register more points, as the Leeds fans prayed as one for the final hooter, and the Wigan fans prayed for the countdown clock to slow.
The Rhinos won their seventh Grand Final in twelve years, beating Wigan for the first time in a major final, and broke Cherry & White hearts for the second season running. Leeds are again Champions in a sensational triple winning season and in a game which lived up to all pre-match expectations, a fitting season finale.
Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai, take a bow, you have all been key members in the finest side to grace the Super League era, the worthy 2015 Champions, the Leeds Rhinos.
Rhinos: Hardaker, Briscoe, Watkins, Moon (T), Hall, Sinfield (3G), McGuire (2T), Garbutt, Burrow, Peacock, Delaney, Ablett, Singleton. Subs: Cuthbertson, Walters (T), Leuluai, Keinhorst.
Saints: Bowen (T, 4G), Manfredi (T), Bateman, Gildart, Burgess (T), Williams, Smith, Crosby, McIlorum, Flower, Tomkins, Farrell, O'Loughlin. Subs: Powell, Clubb, Mossop, Patrick.
Referee: Ben Thaler
Attendance: 73,512 |
