Cherry and Whites thrash Robins to reach 12th Grand Final

Liam Marshall scored a hat-trick as Wigan Warriors blew Hull KR away to book a Super League Grand Final date with Catalans Dragons.

The damage was done early on when Wigan raced into an 18-6 lead with the first two Marshall scores and a Jai Field score, with Elliot Minchella in reply.

Wigan piled on points with Marshall's treble, Field getting a second and Toby King and Abbas Miski also crossing.

Jez Litten's late consolation was scant reward for a huge Hull KR contingent.

This will be Wigan's 12th appearance in the end-of-season showpiece, and their first at Old Trafford since 2018 after ruthlessly dispatching Hull KR in front of a 15,000-strong crowd at the DW Stadium.

It also means a reunion with former favourite Sam Tomkins, who will get his wish to to finish his career with Catalans against his old team.

There was a relentlessness about Wigan - their props Kaide Ellis, Tyler Dupree and off the bench Patrick Mago and Harvie Hill carried with brutal intent.

On the back of that, Wigan's creative players flourished; full-back Field and playmaker Bevan French had space to create and Smith's kicking game created menace.

They all had a hand in the scores, notably Marshall's hat-trick, with slick hands for the first two and a wonderful measured kick for the third from French which picked him out all on his own, in addition to the perfect pass for King to power over.

Field's electrifying footwork brought him reward for his second, after perseverance delivered a first score, and his flashing cut-out ball put Miski over in space on the right.

The sparkle that Wigan provided was in contrast to the underperforming Robins, whose play-off adventure ended here in disappointing fashion.

Half-back Brad Schneider lacked composure, having been the hero in their semi-final against the Warriors in July, while full-back Jack Walker was withdrawn and Jordan Abdull sent on to shake things up but after the game was gone.

When they did get it right all too infrequently, they caused problems, punishing a mistake with a razor-sharp ruck-speed for Minchella to pounce and cutting the Warriors open with a late incision by Litten.

Head coach Willie Peters can look back with pride that his side came within 80 minutes of a Grand Final having been unfancied, and also reached a Challenge Cup final in his maiden season in charge.

However, this was a stark lesson in end-of-season football for his side, who said goodbye to talismanic centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall with this game after a career in which he made more than 400 appearances both here and in Australia.

Wigan head coach Matt Peet:

"It's absolutely not what we prepared for but credit to the lads, they managed to put themselves in that position and we've got to take it and move on.

"We speak about building the game but we've also got the players who've got licence, if they see opportunities in those opening periods, that they shouldn't sit and wait.

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It's been a wonderful journey but it's certainly not the way we wanted it to end.

"Obviously we didn't start well in both halves which hurt us and we had no momentum in the game which is disappointing.

"But overall I'm extremely proud of the whole club for what we've achieved this year. We've come a long way but we're not where we wanted to be. We want to be playing in those major games."

Wigan: Field; Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Dupree, O'Neill, Ellis, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies

Interchanges: Powell, Isa, Mago, Hill [Shorrocks]

Hull KR: Walker; Senior, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, Hall; Lewis, Schneider; Hadley, Parcell, King, Batchelor, Linnett, Minchella

Interchanges: Abdull, Storton, Litten, Luckley [Kennedy]