Wigan and Leeds create unwanted Super League history with semi-final defeats
Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity run out ahead of their 2026 Super League play-off semi-final tie
This is just the second time ever in Super League that neither of the top two have made it into the Grand Final, with Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos creating unwanted history.
As well as scooping the Challenge Cup, Wigan lifted the League Leaders’ Shield this term after finishing top of Super League at the end of the regular season.
Leeds meanwhile endured a rocky ending to their regular season campaign, but points difference was enough to see them end 2026 in second place.
Both though went on to lose their semi-final ties on home soil, with the Warriors stunned by Wakefield Trinity and the Rhinos beaten at Headingley by Warrington Wolves.
Accordingly, neither of the top two made it to Old Trafford: something that has happened only once before in the history of Super League, with play-offs having been adopted by the competition back in 1998!
Wigan and Leeds create unwanted Super League history with semi-final defeats
The only time both of the top two failed to make it into the Grand Final previously came in 2011, some 15 years ago now!
On that occasion, League Leaders’ Shield winners Warrington were beaten 26-24 at home by eventual champions Leeds, who had finished fifth.
Making matters even worse for Wire that year, they were able to choose their semi-final opponents via ‘club call’, a feature of the play-offs from 2009 to 2014!
Wigan had finished second that year, but were beaten away from home by third-placed St Helens in the semi-finals, losing 26-18.
Strangely, due to a more complex play-off system, the Warriors lost home advantage for that semi-final because they’d already been beaten by Saints on home soil earlier in the play-offs, spookily by the same scoreline!
Leeds went on to beat Saints 32-16 in the Grand Final, famously winning it from fifth!
League Leaders’ Shield streak over
Even the fact Wigan, as table-toppers, didn’t make it to Old Trafford this year means a lengthy streak has ended.
Saints were the last League Leaders’ Shield winners not to make it to the Grand Final back in 2018.
They had finished six competition points ahead of second-placed Wigan at the end of a 30-game regular season concluding with the Super 8s, a dominant force.
Remarkably though, they lost their home semi-final 18-13 to a Warrington side that had finished fourth, a whopping 15 competition points behind them in the regular season!
Wire couldn’t get the job done in the Grand Final that year though despite that almighty shock, going on to lose 12-4 to Wigan at Old Trafford.
Eight years on, they’ve made it back to the Theatre of Dreams – and Wakefield now stand in their way of a first-ever Super League title, with a new name guaranteed to be put on the trophy on Saturday evening.
