Last updated on .From the section Rugby League Betfred Super League Grand Final Wigan (8) 12 Tries: Manfredi 2, Davies Warrington (4) 4 Tries: Charnley Shaun Wane ended his tenure as Wigan Warriors head coach on a high with a gripping victory over Warrington Wolves in the Super League Grand Final. Appointed in 2011, Wane took charge of Wigan for the final time on Saturday, leading his side to their third Grand Final triumph during that period and fifth overall. Former Wigan winger Josh Charnley opened the scoring, but the Warriors hit back through the excellent Dom Manfredi, crossing in each half, and Tom Davies. The result ends a disappointing first season for Warrington coach Steve Price, defeated in both domestic finals this term. They were shocked by Catalans Dragons in the Challenge Cup final in August and have now suffered their fourth loss in the season-ending Old Trafford showpiece. Warriors quartet end last battle with win Boss Wane bid farewell to Wigan after a 30-year association which saw him play for the club, act as scout and coach, before taking the top job in 2011. The 54-year-old leaves for a role at Scottish Rugby Union as one of the most successful coaches in the club's history. Wane claimed three Grand Final victories, two Challenge Cups and a World Club Challenge in his seven years in charge, and also finished up with the 2018 Coach of the Year prize. Wigan Warriors have won three Super League Grand Finals under departing head coach Shaun Wane Built on a solid defensive base, his troops epitomised his own character by being involved in a hard fought and - at times - scrappy contest, which made for a tense spectacle. At the full-time hooter, Wane punched the air and galloped on to the pitch with his staff to celebrate with his victorious players. Like Wane, full-back Sam Tomkins was also making his last appearance for Wigan before a move to French side Catalans Dragons for next season, and was lucky to keep his place on the field. In the first half, an intentional trip brought down Bryson Goodwin who was threatening to break away, he shoved Kevin Brown in the chest off the ball and led with his knees in a tackle on Daryl Clark, but no punishment was handed out by referee Robert Hicks. But an emotional Tomkins - in tears afterwards - ends his second spell at the DW Stadium a winner, as do Ryan Sutton and John Bateman who are both leaving to join NRL side Canberra Raiders for 2019. Dom Manfredi scored the first and last of Wigan's three tries Close to the Wire…again Another Grand Final, another which ended in heartbreak for Warrington. The primrose and blue will be sick at the sight of Wigan, having lost three in-a-row against the same opposition, with full-back and man of the match Stefan Ratchford featuring in all those games. Their long wait for a championship also continues, last claiming the league title back in 1955, and again failing to add a new name to the trophy which has just Wigan, Leeds, St Helens and Bradford etched on it. After their battle against relegation last term, a remarkable turnaround in their first season under Australian boss Price - who replaced Tony Smith - proved to be a case of so near, yet so far. Warrington went ahead but looked bereft of ideas thereafter, being left frustrated by a compact defence. At one point in the game, Price threw his arms into the air and spun round in disgust after an attacker ran straight into a Wigan defender. Trailing by just four points with 10 minutes remaining in the second half, Warrington gave it their all but could not break the Wigan resistance and were greeted by ironic chants of "it's always your year" by the opposition fans late on. Two returning wingers impress Though a runner-up on this occasion, Chorley's Charnley won three Grand Finals in a cherry and white shirt before departing to join rugby union side Sale Sharks in 2016. The Warriors players and supporters would not have been expecting to see him again so soon, particularly in an opposition shirt. Charnley had a difficult spell at Sale before coming back to the 13-man code with Warrington in March and immediately returned to form with 15 tries in 21 Super League games. Old Trafford has hosted all 21 Super League Grand Finals He added to his tally in the final by touching down in the corner from a repeat set, but Wigan responded through a player who has also had a tough couple of years. Manfredi only made his return to action in the Super 8s after an injury-ravaged two years with a knee injury and finished off a move from Oliver Gildart's sublime dummy which took three defenders out of the game, and adding a flying touch down late on. His key defensive contributions were vitally important too with some confident running from the backline and bundling Tom Lineham out of play when the Warrington winger was poised to score. 'Wire were authors of own downfall' - analysis Ex-Great Britain coach Brian Noble on BBC Radio 5 live The team ethic from Wigan was outstanding - they executed their plays and Warrington didn't. They had plenty of opportunities but the kicking, chasing and collective game from Wigan is the reason they've got over the line. Warrington were the author of their own downfall, they just couldn't finish their plays and their kicking game wasn't as good as Wigan's. Former Great Britain and Wales international Iestyn Harris on BBC Radio 5 live Fully deserved by Wigan Warriors. From the start of the top eight they haven't lost a match. They were brilliant in the semi-final last week and they've absolutely strangled the life out of Warrington Wolves tonight. Warrington had their opportunities but they haven't taken them. Wigan: Tomkins, Manfredi, Gildart, Sarginson, Davies, Williams, Leuluai, Navarrete, Powell, Flower, Greenwood, Bateman, O'Loughlin. Substitutes: Clubb, Farrell, Sutton, Escare. Warrington: Ratchford, Lineham, Goodwin, King, Charnley, Brown, Roberts, Hill, Clark, Cooper, Thompson, Hughes, Westwood. Substitutes: Murdoch-Masila, Patton, Philbin, King. Referee: Robert Hicks<doc-sep>1:22 An emotional Shaun Wane says farewell to Wigan after their Grand Final win against Warrington. An emotional Shaun Wane says farewell to Wigan after their Grand Final win against Warrington. Wigan's 12-4 Grand Final win over Warrington was the "perfect" send-off for boss Shaun Wane and the Warriors' departing stars. The final hooter at Old Trafford on Saturday night sparked emotional celebrations for Wigan, with Wane ending his 30-year association with his home-town club and key players Sam Tomkins, John Bateman and Ryan Sutton also set to leave. 1:22 An emotional Shaun Wane says farewell to Wigan after their Grand Final win against Warrington. An emotional Shaun Wane says farewell to Wigan after their Grand Final win against Warrington. Wane, who worked for Wigan as a player, scout and coach, will take up a role as high performance coach with the Scottish Rugby Union later this month. The 54-year-old bowed out on a high as he clinched the sixth trophy of six years as Wigan boss. In their 10th Grand Final appearance, Wigan brought the curtain down on the Wane era with a fifth Super League title. "It's coming to an end, it's the perfect way to finish and I am so happy for my staff and all the players who are leaving," a tearful Wane told Sky Sports. Wane with the 2018 Super League trophy "I've got so much respect for the players. I just wanted the win against a champion team like Warrington. I am a Wigan lad, born and bred, and I have lived the dream for many years. It is an outstanding feeling." Tomkins, who will join Catalans Dragons next season, believes that the club will not miss the likes of himself, Bateman and Sutton, but Wane is another matter. 1:15 Wigan's departing star Sam Tomkins says that the 2018 Grand Final win means more to him than any other victory. Wigan's departing star Sam Tomkins says that the 2018 Grand Final win means more to him than any other victory. "Wigan is a great club and they have that conveyor belt of young talent and world-class players so they will come through, " Tomkins told Sky Sports. "Shaun leaving is the most significant one because he has done a lot for this club over the 30 years he has been a player and a coach. He deserved a Grand Final ring more than anyone." Wane celebrates the win with Sam Tomkins Wigan skipper Sean O'Loughlin was also full of praise for Wane, saying: "It is going to be tough without Shaun Wane - he has been fantastic for us and we all owe him a lot. He will be missed."<doc-sep>The fairytale finale – but unlike any other fairytale you are likely to have experienced before. There was blood, there was sweat and there were certainly plenty of tears. And, in a week where the word “emotion” has perhaps been thrown around more than ever before in rugby league, on the game’s biggest stage of all, there was an outpouring of which anyone of a Wigan association could only have dreamed this summer. When it was announced that Shaun Wane’s 35-year association with his hometown club would end this year, it was clear then that Wigan’s season was going to go one of two ways. For a few weeks, as the announcements followed about players such as John Bateman and Sam Tomkins following him out of the door, it looked as though it would be costly. In the end, though, perhaps it was fitting that Wane’s Wigan did exactly what they have become renowned for under the guidance of one of the town’s favourite sons: rise to the occasion. This final incarnation of Wigan Warriors under Wane are not glitzy. They are not glamorous. But they are determined, resolute and, for the fifth time in the Super League era, they are champions. It was a double, too: earlier, a stoppage-time penalty by Charlotte Foley gave Wigan Warriors Women their first Grand Final triumph with an 18-16 victory over Leeds Rhinos at the Manchester Regional Arena. At Old Trafford, when Dom Manfredi crossed with three minutes remaining to finally secure the farewell Wane and his players were craving, it was difficult to know where to look first. On the field, Tomkins almost immediately burst into tears. On the sidelines, there were hugs aplenty for Wane and the granite-tough Wiganer, like his players, was unable to hide his emotions as the full-time hooter sounded and the celebrations began. “Losing wouldn’t have defined my career but I’ve made a difference here. I’ll miss everything about the place,” he said. There have been a plethora of highs during Wane’s journey from 16-year-old apprentice to first-team coach. This one will be tough to top whatever happens next as he embarks on a new journey in Scottish rugby union. League surely hasn’t seen the last of him, though. A man with his track record is too big a loss for the sport. On any other night Manfredi’s story – this was only his fifth game back from over two years out injured – would have grabbed the headlines. In the end, it was his two tries that proved to be the difference here. “I’m hoping he’s the story – I’ve a place in my heart for him,” Wane said of the winger. Quick Guide Wigan win Women's Super League Grand Final Show A stoppage-time penalty by Charlotte Foley gave Wigan Warriors women their first Super League triumph with an 18-16 Grand Final victory over Leeds Rhinos at the Manchester Regional Arena on Saturday. Wigan's female team, who were only established last year, stopped Leeds adding to their Challenge Cup and League Leaders' wins with tries from Rachel Thompson (3) and Georgia Wilson. Leeds were 10 points down after an hour but pulled level at 16-16 with minutes remaining. However, a missed conversion from Courtney Hill proved crucial as Foley wrapped up the Wigan win. Photograph: Simon Wilkinson/Rex Features Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback. But for every winner, there is a loser, and as in the Challenge Cup final this year, Warrington will look back on this as a night on which there were more than enough chances to win. It means their wait for the title will go into a 64th year in 2019, and just as at Wembley, Warrington’s profligacy would come back to haunt them here. “It could have gone either way up until the 77th minute,” their coach, Steve Price, reflected. “It was hard, and it was ferocious, but I’m super proud of them. We’ve come a long way.” This, Warrington’s fourth Grand Final defeat in six years, could have easily had a different outcome had they built on Josh Charnley’s early try which broke the deadlock. Wigan quickly replied when Manfredi finished Oliver Gildart’s evasive break, but what followed thereafter was bone-crunching defensive superiority. Wane, you suspected, would have loved every minute of it – as he would have Tom Davies’s expert finish from George Williams’ kick which made it 8-4. There were plenty of flashpoints away from the tries – most notably when Tomkins’ knees caught Daryl Clark as he collected a ball. “That would have been a yellow card if it was a normal game,” Price said, but Tomkins escaped without being sent to the sin-bin. Warrington’s chances continued well into the second half. On two separate occasions Stefan Ratchford – only the second player to win the Harry Sunderland Trophy while being on the losing side – was halted by Morgan Escaré, Wigan’s French full-back who will define the success of the post-Wane era. And after standing up to Warrington’s attack time and time again, with three minutes remaining, the moment he and his players were waiting for arrived when Manfredi dived over to secure yet another title for Wane and the club he has given his all for decades. “It’s the perfect ending,” was Wane’s softly spoken, teary summation afterwards. The power of emotion, it seems, should not be underestimated after all.<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section Rugby League Shaun Wane says he "lived the dream" with Wigan after ending his 30 years with the club by guiding them to Grand Final glory in his farewell game. Wane's Warriors came from behind to beat Warrington 12-4 and secure his third Super League title as head coach. The 54-year-old had been a player, scout, academy, assistant and head coach, and now moves into rugby union. "I love the players so much," a tearful Wane told BBC Radio 5 live. "I'm ecstatic. I hope I've played my bit." The Scotland-bound coach added: "I've enjoyed myself and I've lived the dream. I'm going onto something else but my memories here are the best." Saturday's triumph at Old Trafford was Wane's third title in as many finals against the Wire. Wigan have now won 22 championships, five in the summer era, and could have another crack at winning the World Club Challenge against National Rugby League premiers Sydney Roosters next season. It took some relentless graft to overcome a Warrington side who had chances but continuously ran aground on some fearsome defence. "We weren't great, but I wasn't bothered about the performance - I just wanted the win," Wane said after the hooter. "Warrington were good, but our desperation on our own line was outstanding. I'm made up for everybody." 'I'd still be digging holes on building sites' Dom Manfredi celebrates his crucial second try with his Wigan teammates It was fitting that Dom Manfredi was the player whose two tries helped secure Wane the parting title he craved. It was Wane who gave the winger his debut, the coach who nurtured him to the Dream Team and the cusp of international honours and, most crucially, stuck by him during an horrendous two-year injury lay-off. Manfredi, 25, had repeat knee ligament injuries which hampered his progress, but he returned with two tries to beat Warrington in the Super 8s and repeated the feat at Old Trafford. "Shaun's a massive character," Manfredi said. "I owe a lot to Waney. I don't think I'd be anywhere near here if it weren't for him. "I'd still be digging holes on building sites." The re-emergence of such a long-term absentee has been a huge boost to Wigan, particularly when wingers Joe Burgess and Liam Marshall have seen their seasons ended prematurely by injuries. Two seasons ago the former Leigh Miners junior went through the same disappointment - missing the 2016 triumph - and might not have returned at all had it not been for a strong support network. "There were some dark times," Manfredi said. "I sat down and said 'this is my last chance'. "I told myself I'd give it everything and if it's not good enough, then it's not good enough. But the physio staff and players have got me there in the end. "My mum has been massive. She was there when I couldn't get up, taking the dog for a walk, feeding me and washing my clothes. "I felt like giving up, but this has made it all worth it." 'As the final hooter went I let it all out' Sam Tomkins described Shaun Wane as a mate as much as a coach in the prelude to the final Wane was not the only departing member of the Wigan system, with key players John Bateman, Ryan Sutton and Sam Tomkins also exiting. Tomkins, 29, left Wigan for New Zealand Warriors on the back of the 2013 success and has done the same in 2018 before his move to Catalans Dragons. "I'm a bit of a mess," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "I pushed the emotion right to the back of my mind. "Before kick off I said it had been a normal week, but I've had to push a lot of emotion to the back of my mind. "As soon as the final hooter went I could let it all out." 'Happy for them, gutted for us' Josh Charnley was denied a second try by some sensational defence by Wigan There was almost an inevitability that Josh Charnley would be involved in this game, despite him now wearing the primrose and blue of Warrington rather than Wigan's Cherry and White. The Warriors academy product scored 165 tries in 176 games - including a score in the 2016 final for Wigan - but joined Warrington on his return to league mid-season from Sale rugby union.