With so much of the pre-match build up to Saturday’s Super League Grand Final concentrating on Ryan Hall’s upset stomach, it was fitting that the Leeds Rhinos’ winger would score the try that put the result beyond doubt and saw his side claim a record sixth title.

In the biggest gastronomic scandal in sport since Tottenham Hotspur’s ‘lasagne-gate’, it was rumoured last week that Hall could miss the Final due to food poisoning caused by eating undercooked chicken, prepared by his own team-mate Ian Kirke.

However, if there was anything floating about in the bellies of these brave Leeds Rhinos players, it was adrenaline. They delivered a scintillating performance that was befitting of the occasion on rugby league’s grandest stage.

Old Trafford is becoming somewhat of a second home for the Rhinos. Conveniently located in the heartland of the sport, just off the M62 – the mythical ‘corridor’ that is said to link all the key teams – the Rhinos have now won six out of eight Grand Finals at the home of Manchester United.

Some may moan about a system where the team who finishes 5th can still win the title, as Leeds have now done two years in a row. However there is no denying that the Grand Final is a great spectacle and rarely disappoints as an end-of-season showdown. The match ball was delivered to the pitch by a trapeze artist on a giant balloon before the teams took to the field through a tunnel of fireworks.

It is rugby league’s greatest triumph that it encompasses all fans in this showpiece event. Shirts of all colours and levels were on display to fill up a lively Old Trafford alongside the Wolves and Rhinos faithful.

It was the Warrington fans, sat in the famous Stretford End, who were celebrating first as Richie Myler slipped in to score the first try of the night with relative ease. Brett Hodgson added the extras to make it 6-0.

However, Leeds responded well and long-serving captain Kevin Sinfield marshalled his side in a performance that would later see him lift the Harry Sunderland Trophy, awarded to the Grand Final’s man of the match. Sinfield was in the wars early, taking a nasty blow to the ribs – but the 32-year-old soldiered on, sturdy and solid as ever, to score the first try of the day for Leeds. Sinfield then kicked a superb conversion from a tight angle to equal the score.

Leeds then took the lead as Sinfield scored a penalty halfway through the first half. Brian McDermott’s side capitalised on this advantage, as Ben Jones-Bishop shrugged off his tacklers to score Leeds’ second try, with Sinfield kicking the conversion.

However, it was not to be plain sailing for the Rhinos. Towards the end of the first half, the Rhinos were trying one elaborate pass too many and the results were costly.

A knock-on by Carl Ablett around 10 yards into the Leeds half saw a concerted build-up from Warrington conclude with a try from Joel Monaghan. Hodgson’s good kick to left the score at 12-14.

Warrington then continued to exert strong pressure to win a penalty just before half time and equal the scoring. For all Leeds’ possession, Warrington were looking more effective and threatening with the ball in hand.

After the break, it looked as if the Wolves were capable of running away with the match. Losing the ball in your own 20 is never a good idea and when Leeds did just that, they were in trouble. It allowed Ryan Atkins to score in the corner for Wolves. Hodgson’s conversion attempt was the first miss of the day and the score was 18-14 to Warrington.

Hard done by in the Challenge Cup Final against the same opposition, Leeds were forced to create their own good fortune on Saturday evening. They tried hard to reassert themselves strongly in the second half.

This pressure finally paid off as Rhinos worked their way in for Ablett to down the try. The irrepressible Sinfield added the extras to put Leeds back in the lead, 18-20. The Leodesian anthem of “Marching on Together” rang out louder than ever from the Leeds side, an anthem which has also been adopted by many of our University sports teams. Perhaps Sinfield and co. took time off from training last Wednesday to watch Varsity.

Leeds ploughed on, as the might of Kylie Leuluai saw the Rhinos turn over the ball deep in Warrington territory. Leeds began to thrive under this newfound discipline. The team was solid in their defence and threatening in possession. There was time for the killer blow from Hall, with extras added by Sinfield, to make the final score 18-26 in Leeds’ favour.

As one half of yellow and blue fans streamed out of the stadium at the final whistle, the party was only just beginning for the other. The Grand Final had certainly lived up to expectations and with a crowd of 70, 676 watching on, it was a great advert for the sport as the countdown begins for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

While it may soon be the end of the road for some of the Rhinos’ old guard, this team have enjoyed some highly successful and enjoyable years together. Jamie Peacock retires with eight Grand Final wins to his name, a Super League record, while the likes of Sinfield and Jamie Jones-Buchanan may wonder how much longer they can keep going.

However, the future bodes well for Leeds too with younger players such as Zak Hardaker (20), Kallum Watkins (21) and Stevie Ward (18) all acquitting themselves excellently at senior level. There may well be many good times ahead for the Leeds Rhino