LONDON (AP) — Wigan recovered from a wild start to win a record-extending 21st Challenge Cup after beating Warrington 18-8 in the final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The Warriors became the first team since 2007 to hold all four of British rugby league's major honours, adding to the Super League grand final, the League Leaders’ Shield and the World Club Challenge.

Australian standoff Bevan French was the man of the match. His grubber kick set up Zach Eckersley for Wigan's first try and he stretched to score the second himself as they took their chances and suffocated Warrington from getting any lasting go forward.

“To hold onto all four trophies ... it's a very big achievement for ourselves,” Wigan captain Liam Farrell told the BBC. "We are in a very good place at the moment.

“It's down to (coach) Matty (Peet). He brought the culture right back down to earth where it should be.”

Tributes to Leeds great Rob Burrow, who died last weekend at age 41 after living with motor neurone disease, completed the buildup to the final. The crowd of 64,845, the biggest for the final since 2017, observed a minute's silence before the kickoff, and again seven minutes into the match in honour of Burrow's shirt number.

But the two sides were guilty of taking Burrow's fighting spirit a little too literally at the start. Wigan’s Mike Cooper was sin-binned for a swinging arm that flattened Josh Thewlis, and two minutes later Warrington fullback Matt Dufty was sin-binned for a high tackle on Liam Marshall that sparked a mass confrontation.

Just when Warrington was beginning to stir in the second half, Wigan captain Liam Farrell streaked onto a short pass from Jai Field, stepped inside Josh Drinkwater and crashed over in his fifth final. Harry Smith's third conversion sent Wigan 18-2 up.

Warrington responded with a converted Thewlis try with 10 to go, but it was too late for Sam Burgess' men, 12 of whom were playing in their first final. Burgess was coaching only his 17th match.