Following a fiery opening that started with the kind of big tackles that this derby game has become known for, the game suffered a dramatic twist in only the second minute of the game when Wigan Prop,
Ben Flower, became the first and only player to be sent off in a grand final by referee
Phil Bentham after he punched
Lance Hohaia in the face, thus knocking him out, then as he lay defenceless on the floor, he punched him in the face again. This forced
Wigan to play 78 minutes with 12-men, causing a switch in the Wigan approach to one of smash-and-grab. A valiant first-half performance by Wigan's 12-men meant they entered the break with a 6–2 lead. Despite further strong defensive displays by the Wigan outfit in the ensuing second-half,
Iosia Soliola forced himself over the Wigan try-line in his final appearance in the Red-Vee to put
St. Helens ahead, and in control of the game. An admirable, yet desperate display by Wigan, to get themselves back into contention was halted, when
Tommy Makinson crashed over for Saints, 12 minutes from time to make the score 14–6, after a precise kick over-the-top of the Wigan defence from Saints stalwart,
Paul Wellens. Despite a late Wigan flurry,
Makinson's try proved to be the one that sealed the game and the championship for
St. Helens, meaning that the Saints claimed their first championship title since 2006, and their sixth overall in the Super League era (St Helens are now equal with
Leeds Rhinos for titles since 1996, both have 6 titles). ==World Club Series==