Why Leeds Rhinos have a point to prove in Wheelchair Super League Grand Final v Wigan Warriors

Rhinos are the reigning league leaders, but their last two finals have ended in defeat and coach James Simpson has challenged his side to show they can still handle the big occasion.

Treble winners in 2021, when they beat Wigan in the Grand Final, Rhinos’ reign as champions was halted by Halifax Panthers in last year’s showpiece and they suffered Challenge Cup final disappointment against Catalans Dragons two months ago.

Both those defeats cost Rhinos a potential clean sweep of available trophies and Simpson admitted: “It is almost like bad for the sport if you win them all, but if we are going to lose, someone has to beat us legitimately - we are not just going to surrender.

“Last year we got beaten legitimately and this year in the Challenge Cup final it was the same. This final is about going out there and showing we can still win big finals, you can put us on TV, in front of all these cameras and we can still do it.”

Simpson retired as a player at the end of last season to focus on coaching, after combining the two roles in 2022. He added: “For me as a coach, the best thing that could have happened was losing that Challenge Cup final, because that changed so much of how I do things.

“It is easy to coach when you are winning, but you need to lose to learn what you are doing wrong. That Challenge Cup final changed the whole trajectory of our season and how I do things as a coach.

“That is what has got us the league leaders’ and has got us to this final, beating the champions in the semi-final. It all stemmed from us losing that Challenge Cup final, for me personally as a coach.”

Wigan finished third in the table, but booked their spot in the final with a surprise win at second-placed London Roosters, who along with Halifax are one of only two English teams to beat Rhinos this year. Rhinos won 50-38 and 68-36 in this year’s league encounters with the Warriors and Simpson accepts they will go into Sunday’s showpiece, at the National Basketball Centre in Manchester, as favourites.

But he stressed: “We’ve been in that situation before and it hasn’t gone our way, so we are not swanning into this like some teams might have in the past. We are taking it very seriously, it is a Grand Final and everyone wants to win it.”

If Leeds do, it could be their best achievement so far. Simpson warned: “The competition is getting more challenging. I know there’s only a handful of teams who are competing at the top, but between those teams it is getting very marginal now about who’s going to win.

“It is good for the sport and as a coach, you don’t want an easy ride, but you want to go into games knowing you’ve got a shot at winning.” Sunday’s final kicks-off at 5.30pm will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Arena.