Sporting Bygones: Robinson caps fine display in inaugural Grand Final as Wigan deny Leeds

The RFL’s chief executive, who had been such a dominant figure in the decision to switch to the summer era, said: “Super League will represent a dramatic sea change in approach, a quantum leap in thinking. “Life is changing. We have to change with it. You can’t stop history developing.”

And so it was that the game did change and history started developing when two years later the sport made another bold decision to swap from the traditional manner of crowning the league leaders as champions and instead initiate a play-off system which eventually resulted in a decisive Grand Final.

Typically, like so many things in the game, it followed what had been done in Australia for nearly 70 years and added a whole new dimension to the end of the campaign.

The inaugural final, emanating from a top-five play-off route, saw Leeds Rhinos play Wigan Warriors at Old Trafford in 1998, a fitting finale given they had been the two leading sides in Super League.

John Monie’s prolific Wigan had finished top, losing just twice all season – both times to the Headingley club – and had a mean defensive record conceding less than 10 points per game all year.

It was such defensive fortitude which laid the foundation for their 10-4 victory over Leeds in Manchester, Australian hooker Robbie McCormack and inspirational captain Andy Farrell delivering massive tackling stints as Wigan overcame the shock Challenge Cup final loss to Sheffield Eagles earlier that year to claim the game’s other major prize.

It was one of Leeds’s own who brought the crucial game-defining moment, however.

Jason Robinson – rejected by Leeds as a teenager from Hunslet Parkside – had established himself as one of the sport’s finest players in Wigan colours and his virtuoso try in the 37th minute proved the difference in a tightly-fought encounter.

There seemed no danger when the impish winger picked up from dummy half on Wigan’s right flank 30 metres out.

However, Robinson’s innate ability to create something out of nothing was what had marked him out as a star, and he demonstrated that again by zipping infield and spotting the merest of gaps between the Rhinos props Darren Fleary and Jamie Mathiou.

He escaped their clutches and a despairing Daryl Powell, who tried to cut him down, before arrowing diagonally another 20m to score between the posts leaving Leeds full-back Iestyn Harris helpless.

There would be few such opportunities in a game played amid appalling wet conditions under the Old Trafford lights and it gave resolute Wigan a lead they would never surrender.

Farrell converted to make it 6-4 – Kiwi centre Richie Blackmore had put Leeds ahead in the 21st minute following a rare Harris break – and they were fortunate to find themselves in such a position.

Graham Murray’s Leeds had had the better of the opening quarter during which Harris missed a penalty and the conversion attempt following Blackmore’s try.

Robinson made a searing break to bring Wigan back to life before he scored just before half-time but, with Leeds forwards Adrian Morley, Marc Glanville and Anthony Farrell in commanding form defensively, the second period was similarly tight.

Farrell slotted a simple penalty to nudge them further in front and Leeds were glad to see an effort from Mark Bell disallowed by the video referee three minutes later.

Harris, the young Leeds captain who had won Man of Steel, Players Player of the Year and the Rugby League Writers Association Player of the Year, typically came to the fore to try and rally his side but his attacking promptings frustratingly came to nothing.

The West Yorkshire club’s execution was marginally off to let their opponents escape punishment.

Rhinos scrum-half Ryan Sheridan denied Mick Cassidy with a quality tackle to keep them in the contest and he thought he had done more when, in the 75th minute, he burrowed over only to see the ball spurt from his grasp in a heavy four-man tackle.

Wigan survived that scare and, after Graham Holroyd fumbled, he conceded another penalty which Farrell accepted with the final kick of the game to secure victory.

A crowd of 43,533 had witnessed the first Grand Final and it was Robinson – whose moment of magic had proved the difference – who rightly collected the Harry Sunderland trophy as man of the match.