Rugby League: Warrington 16 - Wigan 30: Eyes have it for Wigan

Wigan’s Blake Green was sporting a stunning shiner after being punched by Ben Westwood, who himself required “eight or nine” stitches after a later clash of heads.

Warrington’s Australian winger Joel Monaghan was carried off on a stretcher after a nasty collision with Pat Richards and taken to hospital suffering concussion.

Monaghan’s team-mate Stefan Ratchford saw his night ended early by a tackle from Harrison Hansen which left him with ankle ligament damage.

Amid the blood, sweat and tears, Wigan became the first side since St Helens in 2006 to win the Challenge Cup and Super League title in the same season. Shaun Wane, a born-and-bred Wiganer, saw his side run in 28 unanswered points in the biggest comeback in Grand Final history.

Green’s recovery was especially remarkable and he went on to win the man-of-the-match award.

Westwood’s second-minute punch left the 27-year-old requiring oxygen and the vision in his right eye was badly impaired for the rest of the match. But the Australian stand-off said: “Westwood is an aggressive player and these things happen. You just have to roll with it.

“All I can remember is Pat Richards coming over and whispering in my ear, ‘We need someone tough to lead us and if you hang tough we will win this game’.”

Warrington dominated the first half and tries from Monaghan, Simon Grix and Westwood put them 16-2 up. But the loss of Monaghan prompted a momentum shift which saw Wigan centre Darrell Goulding score a try on half-time.

Green and half-back partner Matty Smith dovetailed to increasing effect and hooker Michael McIlorum burrowed over before Warrington lost Ratchford to injury.

Wigan, bolstered by the return of influential skipper Sean O’Loughlin, smelt blood and Green found the space to go over before Richards added a late fifth try.

Of his eye injury, Green added: “It was a bit blurry at the start and I thought I’d be all right but then it just puffed up and closed over. It was all adrenaline by then and I was never going to come off.”

Westwood escaped even a sin-binning for the punch but referee Richard Silverwood did place the incident on report.

Rugby League: Warrington 16 - Wigan 30: Eyes have it for Wigan