LONDON ROOSTERS are preparing for their first Wheelchair Challenge Cup final on Saturday – and hope to catch Halifax Panthers cold and claim the trophy.
The capital club have had a testing run to the final, beating Wigan Warriors (56-46) in the quarters and Leeds Rhinos (30-28) in the last four.
In contrast Halifax have only played once this season, their 100-18 semi-final success over Super League newcomers Sheffield Eagles.
The Panthers are in confident mood ahead of the game at Wigan’s Robin Park Leisure Centre (kick-off 2pm), with a squad bolstered for this season by England star Jack Brown’s return from Australia.
But London coach Tom Coyd knows his side have every chance if they show the quality that has got them this far.
“If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best, and I think it’s a worthy final in that respect,” said Coyd, who also leads England.
“Over the course of our quarter and semi, of the 160 minutes we spent about 120 losing. Pretty much the whole game against Leeds we were losing.
“That means that we’re battle-hardened, even after two games, compared to Halifax with one game that they won by (scoring) 100 points. That definitely stands us in good stead.
“We don’t really know what that new Halifax group looks like in a genuine contest so we’ll be looking to stress-test that combination.
“I think it’s been five years since Jack played for them and while I’ve got a good feel for how those guys play individually, dropping a player like Jack back into that squad adds a ton of value but can be a bit disruptive. Even with great players, it takes time to get reintegrated.
“We found that, flying Jack in and out with England. As good as he was, it took a lot of work to get the players to knit back together because it’s about spending hours together on the field.
“I think it’s a good time to catch them because they’ve only played one competitive game together. They’ll definitely be stronger at the end of the season so if we can take the scalp at this point we’ll be happy with that.”
Key to achieving that will be their own England stalwarts, Joe Coyd and Lewis King, and a host of other players coming to the fore.
“(Joe) looks as good as he did in the 2022 World Cup year. He’s been the player that changed the game when we were losing against Wigan and Leeds,” Coyd said of his brother.
“Lewis King as the captain and stalwart of the team has been a fantastic leader.
“Mason Billington has led the line in our defence and brought an aggressive edge to the team and a defiance that the Roosters probably lacked before he came in. I think he’ll take Halifax on and meet fire with fire.
“We’ve also had good contributions from Jack Linden and Matt Wass, who have been really effective as our wingers, and Jason Owen, who will play in a Challenge Cup final in his mid-50s (54).”
Tickets are on sale and live streaming coverage will be provided by the BBC.