An Old Trafford date with the Warrington Wolves awaited the winner of tonight's second semi final between the second placed Wigan Warriors and Challenge Cup winners Hull FC.

The Warriors are in form and on the back of a three game winning run, including an 18-12 victory over tonight's opponents. Hull's form has taken a downward spiral since they picked up silverware, with just one win since Wembley, and a loss last week against the Wolves which saw them finish the Super 8's in third.

FC were without captain and talisman Gareth Ellis but Wigan also had their troubles and were missing Ben Flower through suspension and captain Shaun O'Loughlin and full-back Sam Tomkins both through injury.

After dominating the opening exchanges, Wigan opened the scoring on seven minutes when Lewis Tierney took a miss-out pass to power through four Hull tacklers and ground the ball on the line. Matty smith made a real hash of the conversion attempt with the ball barely making it off the ground.

On thirteen fast hands down the line put Tierney over for his second as the game as Hull struggled to get out of their own half. Smith again failed with the boot as Wigan took an 8-0 lead.

As the half wore on FC had more possession and position but Wigan were totally dominant, their dominance though was hardly reflected on the scoreboard.

Just before the interval Matty Smith tried a drop goal which was charged down and the referee wiped the tackle count down. John Bateman picked the ball up and wove through the Hull defence for twenty metres before diving to slide over under the sticks. Matty Smith this time kicked the extras for a 14-0 interval lead.

The Airlie Birds needed something special in the second half, Wigan just needed more of the same.

The second half was six minutes old when the Black and Whites registered their first points of the game. A half break by Danny Washbrook found Josh Bowden in support to go ten metres and ground between the uprights. Marc Sneyd added the extras and the Wigan lead was down to eight.

Two minutes later and Liam Watts capitalised on a Wigan dropped ball, and subsequent penalty, when he took a short pass from Danny Houghton to crash over by the posts. Sneyd added the extras for 12-14.

Wigan calmed their nerves on fifty-four with a Smith penalty after Mark Minichiello tacked Bateman who was chasing his own grubber kick.

On sixty-two there was the games controversial moment when an FC grubber wasn't cleared by Tierney in the Wigan defence and grounded by Steve Michaels. The ball was then picked up by Oliver Gildart who went the length of the field to score at the other end to score. Referee Hicks passed both decisions upstairs and after an age deliberating the try was awarded to Hull. Sneyd added the extras to edge Hull into an 18-16 lead.

Ten minutes from time and Wigan kept the ball alive for what seemed like an age before Sam Powell took an extraordinary Willie ISA offload and managed to find a way through the Hull defence to bounce off the post and ground the ball. Smith kicked the extras to re-establish a Wigan lead.

Two minutes from full-time and Anthony Gelling found enough space wide right to go over by the corner flag to seal the Wigan win, and their spot in the Grand Final. Smith added the extras for a 28-18 win for the Cherry and Whites.

This was a great game for the neutral, but an unbearable nail-biter for the fans of both sides. Wigan dominated the opening forty, but had to fight for their lives against a brilliant second half FC fightback. Wigan just had more in the tank to wrap up the win in the last ten minutes as FC tired.

We now have a repeat of the 2013 Grand Final with Warrington Wolves facing Wigan Warriors, the latter making their fourth consecutive Old Trafford appearance. It should be a belter.

Warriors: Sarginson, Charnley, Gelling (T), Gildart, Tierney (2T), Williams, Smith (4G), Crosby, Powell (T), Nuuausala, Bateman (T), Farrell, Isa. Subs: Tautai, Sutton, Shorrocks, Bretherton.

FC: Shaul, Michaels (T), Fonua, Yeaman, Talanoa, Tuimavave, Sneyd (3G), Taylor, Houghton, Watts (T), Pritchard, Minichiello, Washbrook. Subs: Green, Bowden (T), Thompson, Abdull.

Referee: Robert Hicks.

Attendance: