MANCHESTER — Warrington Wolves will face Wakefield Trinity in the 2026 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday October 3, with a 6pm kick-off live on Sky Sports, guaranteeing the competition will crown a sixth different champion.
The Theatre of Dreams will host the blockbuster event once again, with coverage from 5pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+. Starting in 1998, the Grand Final has always been staged at Manchester United's home, barring 2020 at Hull. Ten teams had previously contested the final — St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos, Hull FC, Catalans Dragons, Salford Red Devils, Castleford Tigers, Warrington Wolves and Hull KR — with Wakefield now becoming the 11th. Only five have lifted the trophy — Wigan, St Helens, Bradford, Leeds and Hull KR — and one of this year's finalists will join that exclusive list. It also marks the first ever Grand Final not to feature Wigan, Leeds or St Helens.
The final pairs the teams who finished third and fourth in the 2026 table. Both went under the radar despite strong campaigns, with only Warrington loose forward Ben Currie and Wakefield prop Caleb Hamlin-Uele making this year's Dream Team. Warrington battled past Leeds in the semi-finals while Wakefield annihilated Wigan in one of the biggest semi-final wins ever. The sides split their regular-season meetings, with Warrington winning 27-16 in round 3 and Wakefield responding with a hard-fought 25-18 victory in round 26. Warrington will look to George Williams and Ewan Irwin for flair, Matty Ashton for pace, and James Bentley, Currie and James Harrison to set the tone, while Wakefield lean on anchor Tyson Smoothy, edge threat Tom Johnstone, and middle power from Hamlin-Uele, Isaiah Vagana and Caius Faatili.
Experience adds another layer. Warrington have not reached a Grand Final since 2018 and Wakefield have never appeared in one, but both squads carry big-game pedigree. Williams was brought to Warrington to deliver silverware and faces a final shot to leave with a trophy, while Smoothy won an NRL Grand Final just 12 months ago. Both teams have been defined in 2026 by synchronised, selfless play, with defined roles and a willingness to put bodies on the line defensively.
The player of the match will receive the Rob Burrow Award, renamed in February to honour the late Leeds Rhinos No 7 and MND campaigner after being known as the Harry Sunderland Trophy from 1998 to 2023. Bevan French was the inaugural winner for Wigan Warriors in 2024 and Mikey Lewis followed for his dominant display in 2025. Sir Kevin Sinfield, who led Leeds to seven Grand Final victories at Old Trafford, will present the match ball after his latest fundraising challenge, which started at world club champions Hull KR on Sunday September 27 and visits each of the 12 English Super League clubs before finishing at Old Trafford. Sinfield and his team have helped raise more than £11m for the MND community since 2020. Soul Symphony will provide pre-match and half-time entertainment, with Laura Wright returning to perform Jerusalem before kick-off.