Key events
9 mins. Wigan take the first opportunity to put some shape on their attack in the backs, French calling for it and working it right to Field on the fourth tackle. The Robins defence is up to it and again, Smith is forced to kick on the last.
7 mins. This is a good start from KR, with their latest attacking sets edging further up the pitch each time. Nobody has looked like scoring yet, but the momentum appears to be moving slowly towards East Hull.
This very nearly all changes as Smith nearly pings a 40:20 for Wigan, but it rolls into touch just short of the mark.
5 mins. A couple of sets each which are all so far, so textbook. Hull KR find themselves a bit more territory on their latest which allows Lewis to pin the Warriors deep in their own half. There’s not much ground made with the carries, but Harry Smith gets his howitzer boot out to relieve the pressure.
3 mins. A solid if not particlularly impressive opening set from KR has Lewis kicking from his own 40 and finding Minski. Wigan cycle through the carries before a punt puts Burgess under pressure.
The Robins wing takes the ball to his chest, but he’s clamped on his five metre line by the Wigan chase.
KICK OFF!
Harry Smith whomps the ball deep into Hull KR territory and we’re away!
The teams are strutting onto the field serenaded by The Lathums, an indie outfit from Wigan.
All a bit odd.
A moving moment as the three children of dear departed Rob Burrow bring out the new trophy for player of the match renamed in his honour.
Rob Burrow is a man about whom I need add no more context as his name carries so much emotion and meaning in those three little syllables themselves. Incredible power and impact in an unexpectedly small package… reminds you of something doesn’t it?
Weather Watch
It’s not too cold, but it’s a squally Mancunian night with heavy showers passing over regularly. Could be a tricky match to get a fast tempo going, which you have to imagine favours Wigan with their structured and throttling gameplan.
Quality all over the pitch today.
Man Of Steel Mikey Lewis will be bristling and chopsing as he has all season at scrum-half for the Robins, his attitude more than matched by his outstanding form and ability. The forwards led by Batchelor and Minchella will need to not make the errors Leigh made early in the match last weekend.
Bevan French, the brilliant stand-off for Wigan will be feeding Jake Wardle in the centres – he’s has had the best season of his career – and both will be following in the wake of the incomparable Junior Nsemba, the young powerhouse second row.
A mention for veteran Hull KR wing Ryan Hall, the 36-year-old will be bringing all the experience of the part he played in Leeds Rhino’s imperial phase to the big game. What a way this would be to bookend a career.
Hull KR team
Wigan Warriors team is in
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Pre match reading
Our man at the ground tonight, Aaron Bower, offers his preview
And our columnist Jonathan Liew takes a look at the tale of Hull KR’s return to very nearly the top
Preamble
The Autumn weather has officially arrived. The drawing in of night necessitating the deployment of the living room big light or lamp in the early evening gloaming. All this the harbinger of a lot of moaning about the weather, a government spending review, and the pilgrimage to Manchester for Super League Grand Final.
Tonight is the twenty-sixth installment of this showpiece and there have been a number of cycles in the competition since the Sky money switched it to summer and the play-off system. Wigan, Bradford, St Helens and Leeds have each had their periods of domination the last quarter century. What hasn’t occurred is time spent with a team from the East Riding of Yorkshire taking a turn atop the summit of Mount RL and Hull KR will want to plant their flag this evening.
The story of the Robins’ emergence as a force from their recently depleted position in East Hull has been told better elsewhere and Willie Peters and his team have put themselves in with a shout here. But they are going to have to shout in unison at Brian Blessed levels to drown out the relentless hum of a Wigan side that chewed up all in their path in recent weeks. Their defence in particular is astounding, conceding zero tries in their last three games and not giving away a single point in their suffocating walloping of Leigh in the semi-final.
Hull KR have given the Warriors more trouble than most in the league this season, with an early season win at Craven Park and narrow loss in the return fixture last month. Predictions are a mug’s game – this liveblogger has made enough to know – but a win tonight for the Yorkshiremen is not out of the question. They will, however, need all the spirit, ability and inspiration of their long journey here to move through the sinews of their team to deliver such an historic win.
