Warrington and Hull KR battle for cup supremacy

Betfred Men’s Challenge Cup final – Warrington Wolves v Hull KR

The Challenge Cup makes its return to the capital with three games taking place under the Wembley arch on a glorious day of rugby league.

After the curtain is brought down on this season’s women’s competition, the men take to the field as Warrington Wolves face Hull KR.

But will Sam Burgess win his first trophy as a head coach and lead Warrington to a 10th victory in the competition?

Or will Super League leaders Hull KR continue their ascent into the echelons of northern hemisphere rugby league with a first Challenge Cup in almost half a century?

“I try not to get caught up in the fantasy land stuff. I just stay in the moment. We know the challenge in front of us and we know they’re a good side. We’ve got to work on getting a good performance out.

“If you ask me that question after the game, I might give you a different answer. For now I’ll just stay in the present moment.”

It is fair to say that Burgess is not losing sleep over the fact he has a winless record as a player and coach at Wembley.

Warrington were on the losing side under Burgess in last season’s final, as they were defeated by eventual quadruple winners Wigan Warriors.

Meanwhile as a player, Burgess started for England in their losing 2013 Rugby League World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

Burgess said he has learned a lot from his 18 months as a head coach, including plenty from his most recent experience at the national stadium.

“There were a couple of things I got, I wouldn’t say wrong, but we could have been better in a few areas. It won’t happen twice in a row with those things,” he said.

For Willie Peters’ Hull KR, the sky is the limit, having dazzled in Super League this season.

Peters has led his side to the Challenge Cup final for the second time in three seasons but has been on the losing side in both the 2023 final and last season’s Super League Grand Final.

He said that his side have had a difficult time maintaining their impressive form having set up Saturday’s trip to Wembley almost a month ago.

“It’s a difficult period for the players because there’s no doubt they would have been thinking about this game three weeks ago,” Peters told BBC Sport.

“But where I can see the growth in the side is that they are able to put it aside and go after each Super League game, because any team that plays us knows they have to play well, but they are also going after us to beat us because we are at the top of the table at the moment.

“We know that every team is going to come to try to knock us off.”

Hull KR have lost only once in all competitions this season – against Wigan in Super League – but have still set the pace among their rivals this term.

But Peters knows that it would prove that his side have broken into the top tier of clubs in Super League if they were able to turn their form into winning a trophy.

“So what the players have done in being able to handle what goes into it and around a Challenge Cup final and putting it aside, they’ve done a remarkable job because it can be difficult,” he added.

Hull KR’s most recent triumph in the Challenge Cup came in 1980 when they beat city rivals Hull FC in a narrow 10-5 affair at Wembley.

Now, a new generation of Robins players stand on the cusp of adding a second Challenge Cup final victory to their history.

Second-rower James Batchelor started for the Robins in their most recent Challenge Cup final in 2023 but was on the losing side against Leigh Leopards that day.

He moved to KR from Wakefield Trinity ahead of the 2023 season and believes his career has prospered since leaving his hometown club.

“I made a decision that I thought would help me grow as a player, as tough as that decision was, and I feel vindicated in that now,” Batchelor told BBC Sport.

“Moving away from my home town I’ve definitely grown as a person, and the faith that Willie has put in me in all that time has helped me grow as a player as well.”

As for the prestige of playing at Wembley, Batchelor said that the sheen of taking to the field loses its lustre if you cannot bring home the win.

“Yes, Wembley has a lot of history behind it but if you don’t get the win it doesn’t really matter and you’re not too bothered about where you’ve played,” he added.

Unsurprisingly, Warrington Wolves name captain George Williams in their squad after he declared his fitness earlier this week.

Warrington (from): Williams, Yates, Tai, Vaughan, Powell, Ratchford, Harrison, Fitzgibbon, Lindop, Wrench, Holroyd, Sneyd, Currie, King, Crowther, Russell, Philbin, Josh Thewlis, Jake Thewlis, Dufty, Wood.