Pundit predictions: Who will win the Super League Grand Final 2024?

rugby-league Saturday 12 October 2024 17:44, UK

Pundit predictions: Who will win the Super League Grand Final 2024?

Ahead of the Super League Grand Final 2024, the Sky Sports Rugby League pundits give their predictions on what will happen in the big game...

Why is the Grand Final so exciting?

Support. The supporters, bumper crowd and a renewed interest in actually getting to the game has me more excited than ever before.

Imagine taking the atmosphere from the Brick and from Craven Park and dropping into the theatre of dreams. That excites me... a lot.

Star Watch: Wigan Warriors

Jai Field. The easy answer would have been Bevan French but I've watched Jai start to move like he's in fast-forward after a tough period of injuries.

A top-speed field at Old Trafford could send electricity into the stands. A little shout to Jake Wardell - his battle against Peta Hiku gets my juices going.

Star Watch: Hull KR

Magic Mikey Lewis. If he keeps his head when all around him are losing theirs, he'll be more influential in the game as Mr Kipling's mince pies on my waistline in 10 weeks.

Who will be crowned champions?

I really don't know. There is an argument for both.

Wigan are favourites, but Hull KR may have a recipe to shut them right down. That being said, it's hard to back against Wigan.

They are stacked, in physique and numbers, deep in strength, smooth as silk when it matters. I fancy Wigan but not by many.

Why is the Grand Final so exciting?

We have two teams with different reasons to win. Wigan already hold all the trophies and don't want to let go of any. Hull KR are desperate for silverware and their first-ever Grand Final win.

Star Watch: Wigan Warriors

Junior Nsemba started the year as a young player proving himself. Since then he has developed into a star of Super League and a key player in this Wigan side.

Star Watch: Hull KR

Mikey Lewis is at the heart of everything Hull KR do and is expected to be the man to finally bring a trophy to East Hull.

Who will be crowned champions?

I think the experience that Wigan have in big games will be the difference and they will win the game by the smallest of margins.

Why is the Grand Final so exciting?

This year's Grand Final will be one of the best for many years. The two best teams are going head-to-head in front of possibly the highest-ever attendance.

Will we see a new club leave as Super League champions for the first time or will we see Wigan Warriors complete an unprecedented quadruple? Either way, history awaits.

Star Watch: Wigan Warriors

You can't look past Bevan French. Grand Finals are typically low-scoring games.

His magic and ability to come up with something out of nothing means that with French in your team, there's a genuine match-winner.

Star Watch: Hull KR

Mikey Lewis is the man for the Robins. He just keeps on getting better and better.

This will be his biggest test yet but if he's on song then Hull KR will have a great chance to leave as champions.

Who will be crowned champions?

I think Wigan Warriors will be crowned Super League champions and complete the quadruple. Their squad is the best in the competition.

They have all played in big games and crucially know what it takes to win. Their ability to raise their game to the next level is something no other team in this league can match. 2024 belongs to the Warriors.

Why is the Grand Final so exciting?

The 2024 GF promises to be fascinating for a couple of reasons. We either see the first team to win a Grand Final in their maiden appearance since Wigan and then St Helens did it in the first two years of the Super League era (no team has managed it since), and Hull KR have been ultra-consistent all year and deserve that shot at history.

Or, we potentially see the start of another dynasty- Wigan hold all three pieces of silverware that were up for grabs in 2024 and they are defending the fourth on Saturday. We are watching a Panthers dynasty in the NRL, are we in the first throws of a Warriors dynasty in Super League?

Star Watch: Wigan Warriors

Has to be Bevan French doesn't it? He's the one man who can change the outcome of a game on his own. What he did in the semi-final was, frankly, ridiculous.

No other player in Super League could've done that, and perhaps would've dared to try what he did. He is an outstanding talent and could light up Old Trafford on the weekend.

Star Watch: Hull KR

The easy pick is Mikey Lewis - young, talented, confident, edgy - and can back up every bit of lip he has. But I'm going for Tyrone May, a man who has been every bit as influential for the Robins in 2024.

He tasted heartbreak in 2023 when on the losing side with the Dragons - I see a real storyline here in him finding glory in his first year in East Yorkshire.

Who will be crowned champions?

A genuine head and heart decision here. Perhaps more accurately a head and romance decision. I would love to see the raw emotion that would inevitably follow a Hull KR victory - and what a story that would be. But the head says this Wigan Warriors side are destined to retain their crown.

Wigan have no obvious weaknesses, they have threats in multiple positions, and crucially (see above) they have big game experience. Remember, only two teams in Super League history have won the Grand Final at the first attempt - there is a reason why this is true.

The Super League Grand Final takes place at Old Trafford on Saturday October 12, live on Sky Sports.

The match will take place at 6pm, with coverage on Sky Sports from 5pm.

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.