Wakefield Trinity's Mike McMeeken out to rewrite Old Trafford story in Grand Final

Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors – two heavyweights with 15 titles between them – appeared to be on an Old Trafford collision course for much of the season, only to be denied on home soil by clubs with no history of Grand Final success.

A competition dominated by four clubs for three decades is now guaranteed another new name on the trophy after Hull KR broke through the glass ceiling last year. For the first time since the Grand Final was introduced in 1998, the show goes on without Leeds, Wigan or St Helens.

That offers encouragement to those who have known only disappointment at the Theatre of Dreams – chief among them Mike McMeeken.

The Wakefield Trinity captain is one of just two players in Daryl Powell's squad with previous Old Trafford experience. Like former Catalans Dragons team-mate Tom Johnstone, McMeeken bears the scars of defeat.

On the face of it, the omens are not good for the experienced forward. But then this is a Wakefield side that have spent the season rewriting the script.

"I've got a 100 per cent record so far: zero wins and three losses," said McMeeken with a wry smile.

"I'm obviously hoping to make it one win in four but yeah, this will be the fourth time with three different clubs.

"To do it with this club and to do it so soon just shows what great intent we have and the direction we're going in.

"I said a few weeks ago that there's no real ceiling for this club. We're just pushing boundaries."

McMeeken's last two Old Trafford visits ended in narrow defeats for the Dragons in attritional Grand Finals.

His first experience with Castleford Tigers was an exercise in how not to prepare for the showpiece event after Zak Hardaker's failed drugs test emerged just two days before the 2017 decider against Leeds.

"The first time was a pretty surreal feeling," recalled McMeeken, who scored for Catalans in the 2021 Grand Final. "We didn't have the greatest preparation.

"But for the other two, I was with a Catalans side that had a lot of experience in there. The likes of Sam Tomkins, James Maloney and Micky McIlorum had all been there and won in Grand Finals. You learn a lot from players like that.

"Both of those Grand Finals were real tight games. You get a lot of knowledge of how to win those big games. Sometimes it can be a two-point or a one-point scoring game.

"It gives you a lot of experience of the week building up to a game like that as well. I think I'll be passing that on to the boys this week."

McMeeken has never been able to look back on an Old Trafford appearance with the satisfaction of victory.

But those experiences have given him lessons he can now pass on to team-mates experiencing the occasion for the first time.

"There'll be a lot of people texting the boys saying, 'Can you sort me out a few tickets?'," he added.

"That'll be for people in the background to sort out. When that's all dealt with, we can let our rugby do the talking.

"You don't get many opportunities to play at Old Trafford and take it in. That's what I didn't do in 2017 – I didn't take it in as much as I should have done.

"Before you know it, it's over so I'll be making sure the boys enjoy this week and enjoy each other's company, as we always do.

"Then, when it comes to game time, we let our game do the talking."

It is a philosophy Wakefield have followed to great effect since returning to Super League, repeatedly allowing their rugby to challenge the assumptions about what they should be capable of.

After ending Wigan's long winning run in last week's semi-final, Powell's Trinity have shown anything is possible.

Now they are 80 minutes away from a first Super League title, with Warrington – a side they beat only a few weeks ago – standing in their way.

"It's a special feeling," said McMeeken. "Not just for us but for the city of Wakefield.

"This is one of the targets that we set. We've quietly gone about our business and are now 80 minutes out from lifting the trophy.

"But Warrington are probably thinking the same thing. Both teams have found some form at the back end of the season so it's going to be an exciting game.

"We played each other a couple of weeks ago and it was a pretty good game then as well, a pretty close game that could have gone either way. I'm expecting the same here.

"We probably won't be changing too much. We'll just do the same things that we have been doing – enjoying each other's company, fine-tuning our detail and looking at what Warrington have changed since the last time we played them.

"We just want to go out there and execute our game plan."