Widnes coach Simon Finnigan says his side has a double incentive when they take on Leigh in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup in front of the Premier Sorts cameras on Monday night (February 28).
That’s because progression will maintain the chance of featuring in this year’s 1895 Cup, a competition in which the Vikings made the Wembley final in 2019 and the last four last year.
The five Challenge Cup fifth-round winners will not only join Super League sides (except for Toulouse) in the last 16, but also qualify for the third running of the 1895 Cup, for Championship and League 1 clubs.
This year, the 1895 and Challenge Cup finals will be played as a double-header at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, May 28.
Widnes made last year’s 1895 Cup by reaching round three of the Challenge Cup (both were reduced in size due to the knock-on effects of the pandemic).
“We want to go as far as we can in both cups,” said Finnigan, who checked out Leigh first hand when they won 40-4 at York recently.
While Widnes lead the fledgling second-tier table with four wins from four, third-placed Leigh, who have three from four, are the favourites.
“We are really looking forward to the tie, and it will be a good test for us, because they are a full-time team with some really classy players,” added Finnigan.
“It’s a big ask for us, and they will be as up for it as we will be, but we’re going there with the intention of going through.”
Both clubs are former Challenge Cup winners, with Widnes triumphing seven times, most recently in 1984 and Leigh twice, the last in 1971.
Leigh coach Adrian Lam added: “We have heritage in this competition that we can hang our hat on. We want to showcase ourselves and Championship rugby.”
The fifth-round draw will be made live on Premier Sports after the game and it will include the three Cumbrian clubs, while North Wales Crusaders will be the only League 1 representatives.
Leigh 19-man squad: Caleb Aekins, Jy Hitchcox, Keanan Brand, Nene Macdonald, Ben Reynolds, Joe Mellor, Adam Sidlow, Aaron Smith, Mark Ioane, Joe Wardle, Sam Stone, Tom Amone, Ata Hingano, Ed Chamberlain, Jacob Jones, John Asiata, Luis Roberts, Kieran Dixon, Edwin Ipape.
Widnes 21-man squad: Ollie Brookes, Jake Spedding, Steve Tyrer, Matty Smith, Matty Fozard, Shane Grady, Sam Wilde, Adam Lawton, Kenny Baker, Joe Lyons, Aaron Brown, Tyler Dupree, Liam Bent, Matt Fleming, Olly Davies, Lloyd Roby, Joe Edge, Will Tilleke, Lewis Hulme, Brad Holroyd, Eribe Doro.
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