Super League Grand Final: Wigan Warriors vs Catalans Dragons tips, verdict, stats and predictions
Catalans Dragons' Sam Tomkins
The 2023 Super League season culminates this Saturday as the Catalans Dragons and Wigan Warriors battle for rugby league supremacy.
The French outfit enter their second Grand Final in three years while Wigan will be looking for their sixth title – and first since 2018.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Super League Grand Final, Saturday, October 14, Kick-off 18.00, Sky Sports
Predicted score
Wigan Warriors 10-12 Catalans Dragons
Emma’s Offer
Bet £10 and get a £5 FREE BET if Wigan Warriors score the first points in the 2023 Grand Final.
Key stats
- Wigan Warriors have won nine games in a row
- Catalans Dragons have won three of the last five head-to-head encounters
- Wigan have conceded just 32 points from their last six games
- Catalans have lost just two of their last 10 matches
Verdict
An enthralling season in the Super League deserves a blockbuster finish and the two teams competing in the Grand Final are certainly capable of delivering drama.
Catalans, for instance, booked their spot at Old Trafford courtesy of a gripping 12-6 victory over defending champions St Helens.
Sam Tomkins grabbed all the headlines after scoring a last-gasp try to send his side to Manchester for the second time in their history.
Wigan, on the other hand, put on a clinic in their semi-final as they powered past Hull KR with a 42-12 victory.
The Warriors appear to have peaked at the best possible time, with the team entering Saturday’s showpiece having won nine straight games.
Scoring points has been Wigan’s second nature in recent months. Matt Peet’s side have produced 331 of them during their nine-match winning run – an average of 37.
Keeping other teams out is another speciality for the Cherries. The Warriors have kept a clean sheet in two of their last six games – including one against the Catalans Dragons in Perpignan.
The 34-0 thrashing of the French outfit came as a major shock at the time, and it remains one of two blemishes on the Catalans’ recent record.
Steve McNamara’s side have lost two of their last 10 outings, with the other defeat coming against Hull KR.
Nevertheless, the Dragons will enter the Grand Final with a fair bit of momentum courtesy of their four-match winning run.
Clearly, both teams have a solid case to make ahead of Saturday’s showpiece and it’s unlikely either side will run away with the game – unlike many of their previous head-to-heads.
Since 2021, the two teams have met seven times, with five of those matches ending with a points margin of 24 or more.
The Grand Final is expected to be a far closer affair considering the prize on offer. With that in mind, who will have the edge?
While Wigan are peaking at the right time, it was Catalans’ dogged semi-final display against St Helens which really stood out.
Should the French outfit replicate their efforts at Old Trafford, there’s not reason why they couldn’t find a way past this seemingly indomitable Warriors outfit.
From a betting perspective, the Dragons also offer more value for your buck in the outright market.
