Wigan Warriors taking on Catalans in a dream Grand Final
Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons will face off in the 2023 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford
Wigan Warriors are ready to go, as they prepare to face off against Catalans Dragons in the Grand Final of the Super League at Old Trafford.
After clinching the League Leaders Shield, the Warrios are just 80 minutes away from taking the first Super League crown since 2018 - and a record 23rd overall.
Meanwhile, the Super League's French representatives will be looking to make history once more. Catalans are already the first foreign team to win the Challenge Cup (2018) and the League Leaders' Shield (2021), and they now hope to return to Perpignan with the league trophy for the first time and atone for their tight Grand Final loss to St Helens two years ago.
The game is expected to be a tight encounter although Wigan made light work of their semi-final opponents with an emphatic 42-12 victory over Hull KR to book their place in a first Grand Final for three years.
Warriors Head Coach Matt Peet admits he never dared to predict Wigan being here: "I just wanted to do the best job I could at every step," Peet told the PA news agency. "I took pride in being a volunteer and I didn't necessarily think I wanted to take the job in order to progress."
Former Wigan great Tomkins will take to the field for the last time on Saturday before retirement, aptly against his former club.
"It's funny how things turn out," smiled Tomkins. "My last game for Wigan was winning a Grand Final here in 2018 and now my last ever game on the pitch is against Wigan. I understand how lucky I am to be in this position.
"Everybody has their own personal story of what trophies mean to them. I've got a story for every one, but this different. This would be the first Super League title for the club, and the last time I'll ever lace up my boots.
"The fairytale isn't playing on Saturday - it's winning on Saturday."
Tomkins initially needed some convincing to bring an end to his glittering Wigan career and move to France in 2019, uprooting his young family to join McNamara, the former Bradford coach who harboured persuasive ambitions of turning Catalans into a permanent member of the sport's elite.
Now his young family speak fluent French and he has no immediate desire to return to the UK, investing in property and a potential vineyard in Perpignan and accepting an offer from club owner Bernard Guasch to continue in a role as a club ambassador.
The game kicks off at Old Trafford at 6pm.