ONE THING is certain, Saddleworth will have a new Super League champion after the ‘Grasscroft Grand Final.’
In the red, white and blue corner is Jack Sinfield of Wakefield Trinity, looking to win the club’s first rugby league title since 1968.
In the primrose and blue corner is Josh Thewlis of Warrington Wolves, who are looking to end a 71-year wait to be champions.
Old Trafford may be the setting in front of an expected 70,000 crowd on Saturday, October 3, but this battle is born and brought up in one part of Saddleworth.
Put simply, one comes from one side of the main road, the other from the other!
Throw in the fact Jack’s father, Sir Kevin, is delivering the match ball as his 7 in 7: The Grand Finale challenge finishes and you could not have a more local battle on the national stage.
Josh’s brother Jake may be big mates with Sinfield, but any questions during the build-up be unanswered in case they are attached to a fishing rod.
He said: “Jake’s one of my best mates, so I know Josh pretty well and it’s great two lads from Grasscroft are in the Grand Final.
“Josh comes from just a bit further up the hill from me, and Oldham’s done pretty well over the years for Grand Final winners.
“There’ll be one more to add to the list. Hopefully it’s me. I’ll still speak to Jake, but I won’t be telling him any information.”
Whatever happens at Old Trafford, history will be created and the sound from the other side of Oldham Road, although he has moved out now, is ‘make our own.’
Thewlis, 24, who also has Diggle resident Luke Yates on his side, said: “We’ve got ourselves within 80 minutes of something special now and creating some history of our own.
“We spoke about getting better every week, and I think we’ve done that.
“Making our own history has been talked about all season, it’s something we’ve strived to do. No team has won Super League for Warrington yet, so it’s definitely our main driving factor.
“Getting there’s one thing, winning is another, though. But we’ve given ourselves the best chance, haven’t we?
“And Jack’s a good lad. I’m going to come up against a familiar face, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Wakefield’s rise from rugby league’s Championship to Super League’s Grand Final is the stuff of dreams.
But half-back Sinfield is adamant Daryl Powell’s men were of the opinion what seemed impossible was very much possible.
He added: “100 per cent, we’ve thought we could get here, since day one of pre-season.
“The lads had a big year last year, their first back in Super League, and we felt like we’d made good additions with Tyson Smoothy and Jazz Tevaga, as well as myself and a few others.
“We’ve said from fay one, ‘We want to get to this Gand Final and we want to win trophies.’
“And we know what Warrington bring. We had a tough match against them just the other week and George Williams has been killing it.
“It’s going to be a new name on the trophy either way, so I think it’s only good for the game.”
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