KELSEY GENTLES must know Wembley Stadium like the back of her hand after making the trip to the national stadium for the last three years.
She knows the route there, she knows the noise and atmosphere generated by the growing women’s final, and she even knows how the stadium looks from pitchside.
But for the 27-year-old, none of that will help prepare her for taking to the field on Saturday with Wigan.
Since the final moved to Wembley in 2023, Gentles has been part of the BBC presenting team covering the the showpiece event, but this year will be a very different experience for her as she will have the boots on and be part of the action on the field, rather than off it.
“I’ve been thinking about this day for a long time,” said Gentles, who featured in York’s 2021 final defeat to St Helens in Leigh.
“Every time I’ve been at Wembley with the BBC I’ve been looking around and wishing that I could play there one day, and now my dreams are coming true. I can’t wait to experience it.
“I will know what to expect in terms of the order of the day, the national anthems, the tension in the stadium and how noisy it gets as the crowds fill up during the women’s game, so I’m not totally oblivious going into it, but I’m still going to be a bag of nerves.
“There are some 19-year-olds in this squad that have experienced Wembley already and then there’s me at 27 who hasn’t and doesn’t have a clue what that feeling’s like.
“I’ve not even played in a Challenge Cup Final since 2021 and the game has changed so much since then, so it really does feel like it’s all new to me.
“But I have found a new home at Wigan and do feel like I am going from strength to strength, but finding a way to play at, and win at, Wembley is going to be totally different.
“Hopefully we can do that and I get to walk up those stairs and lift that trophy.”
Gentles was watching on last year as Denis Betts’ Wigan raced away to a dominant 42-6 win over previous holders St Helens, despite having gone in as underdogs on the day.
That paved the way for the Warriors to complete the treble in 2025, and so far this season they are proving themselves to be the team to beat once again.
That could put a different sort of pressure on the Wigan side going into this year’s final, but it is a pressure Gentles is confident her teammates can handle.
“Dennis has asked us to take it up a notch, even from last year,” added Gentles, who joined Wigan over the winter after making a successful playing return with Huddersfield at the end of last season following a serious knee injury.
“He has said that this squad is even better and so can be even more threatening.
“We had a really good scoreline (52-0) in the semi-final against York, who are not an easy team to beat because they have some really tough and skilful girls.
“But credit where it’s due, we worked really hard that day and our performance showed that we have taken it up another level.
“We’re ready to back it up again and we’re ready to defend our title.”