Matty Smith has called on his Wigan troops to end their poor cup form of recent years and secure a spot in this year’s final.
The Warriors take on Castleford this Saturday for a spot in the final four, a round that Wigan have failed to reach since they last won the competition in 2013.
By the club’s standards, Smith believes their recent Challenge Cup performances have not been up to scratch, and Smith is determined to right the wrongs of the last two years.
“We’ve not been so good over the last couple of years,” Smith told TotalRL. “So we’re looking for a good run and hopefully get back to Wembley.
“When you’ve played on that stage and in front of that many people, you dream of stuff like that growing up as a kid, so to be on that stage yourself, win it and then celebrate with your mates is one of the best feelings. It’s one of the best things you can do and it’s something we want to achieve this year. We want to experience that all again.”
Their latest challenge on the path to the final comes in the shape of Castleford, a team the Warriors have narrowly defeated on two occasions this year.
With Cas’ plethora of attacking talent, Smith admitted they’ve done an extensive amount of defensive preparation ahead of the contest.
“They’re a great attacking side. Out of the teams in Super League they’re one of the best in that sense.
“They throw so much shape at you. It’s up to us and our defence to get that right first. I think our attack will flow as we are getting some players back, but it’s how we deal with what they throw at us.
“You have to worry about Cas, we do a lot of video on a lot of teams, and this week has been no different. We’ve done a lot of defence in training this week and it has been intense. Luke Dorn seems to be their catalyst and on the end of every single play. Then they’ve got Denny Solomona and Junior Moors. They’re a fantastic team but we’re excited more than anything.”
