The defining date in the European rugby league calendar, this year's Super League Grand Final will mark the end of the 28th edition of the competition, pitting the last two remaining teams against each other after the end-of-season playoffs.
12 teams have been battling to earn one of six spots for the knockout phase, which will begin once the 27 rounds of the regular season have been completed.
Last year's Grand Final saw St Helens - who finished the regular term as league leaders - beat 5th-placed Leeds Rhinos 24-12, earning a tenth title in the competition.
The Grand Final takes place on Saturday 14th October. An evening kick-off is scheduled, with the match due to get underway at 18:00.
As in previous years, the Grand Final will be hosted at its traditional home of Old Trafford in Manchester. In all years but one since its 1998 inauguration, the final Super League match of the year has taken place at the cavernous 74,000-seater venue.
Coverage of the event can usually be found on Sky Sports, who are the main rights holders for the competition. Additional coverage is expected to be available on Channel 4, who began sharing rights in 2022, while highlights are available on the BBC.
Just as St Helens are the most successful team in Super League overall, winning top honours ten times, they are also the most decorated side in Grand Finals – nine of their titles have come via an end-of-season match, which was introduced to the league format in 1998.
Saints have won each of the last four Grand Finals, with their other triumphs coming in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2014.
The next best side in Grand Finals are Leeds Rhinos. Eight-time winners, 2022 saw them reach their first final in five years.
In total, four teams have won a Super League Grand Final. In addition to St Helens and Leeds, Wigan Warriors and Bradford Bulls have claimed victory on five and three occasions respectively.
The Warriors are poised to feature in their 12th Grand Final, one more than Leeds, behind Saints’ record of 14. Bradford follow on with six appearances in total.
Additionally, four clubs have reached Grand Finals without ever winning the trophy – with four runners-up medals, Warrington Wolves are the most high-profile example.
Castleford Tigers and Salford Red Devils have reached one final apiece, while Catalans Dragons are set to make their second appearance in the season finale.
In 2022, St Helens took an early lead in their quest to gain a ninth Grand Final win, with Matty Lees crossing the try line inside three minutes to open the scoring.
Leeds' first score, a Kruise Leeming try right on the interval, meant Saints led at the break, 12-6.
By the hour, St Helens were 18 points ahead after Tommy Makinson converted tries from Konrad Hurrell and Mark Percival, with Rhyse Martin's late crossing not enough to reset the balance.
Saints' 24-12 victory meant they had won all of the last four Grand Finals against different opponents.
Wigan are the 8/13 favourites to win this year's Grand Final, thanks to their stunning end to the regular season.
Matty Peet's side stormed to the top of the table with a few weeks to spare to ensure they won the League Leaders' Shield for the first time since 2020.
The Cherry and Whites beat Leigh Leopards 10-6 in their final league match to finish top of the pile and they are now the team to beat after winning their last nine games of the campaign.
After spending most of the season at the top of the table, Catalans are 7/5 to get their hands on the Grand Final trophy. Steve McNamara's side were a touch unfortunate to not secure first spot in the league, but they just fell short at the wrong time.
Catalans ended St Helens' dominance of the competition with a last-gasp 12-6 win over the reigning champions in their semi-final in Perpignan on Friday.
Tied at 6-6, the match looked to be heading into extra-time until full-back Sam Tomkins popped up with a match-winning try for the Dragons with just two minutes remaining.
The result brings an end to Saints' winning streak in the Play-Offs and sees Catalans back in the Grand Final for the second time in three seasons - in 2021 they were beaten 12-10 by Saints.
This week's finalists have met three times already this season, with Catalans winning 18-10 in round four and 46-22 at Magic Weekend in June.
However, the most recent and telling result came in round 23 at the end of August when Wigan ran out 34-0 winners at Catalans to knock the Dragons off top spot and the Warriors held on to first place in the closing rounds of the season to give themselves an easier route in the Play-Offs.
We use cookies to deliver a better and more personalised service. For more information, see our Cookie Policy