Grand Final Preview #2 - The Curtain Call

Friday night is the final curtain call on the illustrious careers of Wigan captain Sean O'Loughlin and St Helens' James Graham. These two players have won every honour in the British game. On Friday, one of them will pick up the Super League trophy once more. It will be a painful moment for the other, two players who visibly do not like losing.

You do not have to look too closely to see the regard the players are held in by their respective clubs. Upon the announcement of his retirement, Sean O'Loughlin became just the 15th player to be inducted into the Wigan hall of fame. This is an exclusive club. You only need to look at the names who did not make it into the hall of fame to realise that.

Meanwhile, at St Helens' stadium, the concourse is adorned with murals celebrating the club's finest ever players. When the stadium opened in 2012, James Graham's mural took its place alongside the likes of Alf Ellaby, Tom Van Vollenhoven and Mal Meninga. This was a player still at the peak of his powers, already having his career celebrated.

O' Loughlin made his Wigan debut in 2002 at the age of 19. In 2006, at the age of just 23, O'Loughlin was appointed as Wigan captain, that is despite missing the majority of the 2005 season with a serious knee injury. The early days of O'Loughlin's captaincy were not without challenge. He led the club through a relegation battle in 2006 and subsequent years of improvement, but ultimately failure for the rest of the decade.

Wigan are not a club used to losing. By 2010, Wigan had won just one major trophy in 12 years. After a famed period of late 80's - mid 90's dominance, the idea of a player captaining Wigan for four whole years and not picking up a trophy was incomprehensible.

When the Brian Noble era ended and the Michael McGuire era begun, fortunes changed. The good times returned. Wigan, led by O'Loughlin picked up the Super League trophy and the Challenge Cup in consecutive years. As Shaun Wane took over, O'Loughlin collected 3 Super League trophies, 1 League Leader's Shield, 1 Challenge Cup and 1 World Club Challenge trophy. Winning had turned a habit again.

O'Loughlin's career, especially the latter years, have been dogged by injuries and in recent years his appearances have become more sporadic. In years gone by, Wigan could always rely on O'Loughlin to pull a performance out of the bag, even though he was not a consistent feature. When the big games came, he would be there, he would lead the young team into battle.

In 2020, appearances became more scarce. Questions were asked after O'Loughlin appeared off-the-pace in Wigan's Challenge Cup defeat to Leeds. However, in the play-off encounter against Hull FC, O'Loughlin looked more assured in his role of substitute, who came on to offer a calming influence. Expect a similar role for the Wigan skipper this Friday.

James Graham's career has followed an opposite path to O'Loughlin. Graham burst into a St Helens team who were at the top of their game. Graham debuted in 2003, but missed out on their Challenge Cup Final victory over Wigan in 2004. By 2006, Graham had earned a regular substitute spot over the more experienced Vinnie Anderson and Nick Fozzard.

Graham played his part in a season of unparalled success, where St Helens won everything there was to win, both individual and team awards, including the BBC's Sports Personality Team of the Year (much to the chagrin of Europe's Ryder Cup winning team, who seemed convinced they were going to win)!

Whilst Grand Final success evaded St Helens and Graham for the following years, including a painful five Grand Final defeats in a row, Graham still collected four League Leader's Shields, three Challenge Cups and the Man of Steel. Whilst he will feel he could have had more, it is a trophy haul that would be the envy of many.

In 2011, Graham moved to the NRL, where he suffered yet more Grand Final heartbreak with Canterbury Bulldogs. Despite this, "Aussie Jimmy" (I doubt he was called that in Huyton!) adorned himself to the Australian rugby league fan, especially in the latter years of his career after memories of a 'biting' controversy in the 2012 NRL Grand Final faded away.

St Helens fans always harboured a desire for Graham to return, but few believed it would actually happen. But then 2020 happened. Circumstances changed and, with Luke Thompson's early departure from St Helens, the club had salary cap space and the need for an experienced prop forward. Step forward James Graham.

Whilst Graham does not have the persistent, unrelenting force he had in his initial spell at St Helens, the desire and leadership are exactly the same. The memories of his Grand Final heartbreak with St Helens will not have faded with time. Friday presents a chance for Graham to lead St Helens to back to back championships and lay some Grand Final demons to rest.

The individual stories just add to an already fierce rivalry and adds even more emotion to an already febrile derby. At full time, the rivalry between the two men will give way to respect. Because that is rugby league. But there can only be one winner. Because that is sport.

Whatever the result, we should be grateful to have borne witness to the careers of two elite sportsmen who gave all they had to their respective teams. And they will do it again, for one last time. This is the curtain call.

******.

Whilst you're here...why not read our other blogposts in our Grand Final preview series?

Grand Final Preview #1 - How a 2017 swap transfer culminates on Friday
Grand Final Preview #3 - What a difference a year makes