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Wigan beat Leeds to Grand Final place

Wigan proved too strong for Leeds © Getty Images

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Wigan Warriors are through to the Super League Grand Final after beating defending champions Leeds Rhinos 22-12 at the DW Stadium.

It was a fitting way for Australian winger Pat Richards and England internationals Sam Tomkins and Lee Mossop to mark their final appearances at the DW Stadium as they prepare for their moves to the NRL.

The only try of the first half came after five minutes when Tomkins released Richards and he found centre Iain Thornley with an inside pass.

Richards demonstrated the unerring accuracy that has characterised his eight-year stint with the Warriors by landing the angled conversion to make it 6-0 and somehow that is how the score remained for the rest of the half.

Before his try, Thornley had been responsible for a last-ditch tackle that forced Leeds winger Ben Jones-Bishop to lose control of the ball when he looked a certain scorer.

It was the first of a series of defensive heroics, the highlight of which was provided by Leeds prop Ian Kirke five minutes before half-time when he somehow got back to deny Richards after he had broken clear from his own half.

Full-back Zak Hardaker's tackle on Wigan replacement Jack Hughes minutes earlier paled by comparison but was equally important as the champions defied logic to stay in the game.

There were times in the first half when many of the Rhinos players looked out on their feet but they came out refreshed after the interval and quickly drew level.

A break from halfway by substitute forward Mitch Achurch came to nothing but when the more astute Carl Ablett wriggled free from the tackles of Harrison Hansen and Matty Smith to charge into open space, he superbly took play on before timing his pass perfectly for Joel Moon to finish off.

Kevin Sinfield's goal made it 6-6 but Wigan struck a purple patch to score twice in five minutes and take a stranglehold on the game.

They went back in front when second rower Liam Farrell took Smith's delayed short pass to crash over the line and managed to maintain the pressure on the visitors' line when Leeds' disappointing England centre Kallum Watkins fumbled the ball on his own 20-metre line.

Wigan also capitalised on another handling error, this time from the otherwise admirable Ablett, who could only palm Smith's grubber kick into the path of centre Darrell Goulding for the easiest of tries.

Richards converted both to extend his side's lead to 18-6, which began to look unassailable when Hansen got back to knock the ball from Moon's grasp five metres out from the Wigan line.

The chance was created by hooker Rob Burrow, who did more than anybody to spark a late fightback, but their hopes finally disappeared when Smith's jinking run created the position for Charnley to score his 42nd try of the season.

Leeds at least had the final say when substitute Liam Sutcliffe scored a consolation try four minutes from the end and Sinfield drop-kicked the conversion.

Wigan will face Warrington Wolves, who beat Huddersfield Giants on Thursday, in the Old Trafford showpiece. It will be the first time the two North West sides have met in a major final since Wigan beat Warrington in the 1990 Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

Information from the Press Association was used in this report.

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