ORRELL ST JAMES are eager to be back on the National Cup Final stage towards the end of 2026, and Brighouse Rangers are determined to go one better than they did this year.

Those are the considered verdicts of both coaches following the 2025 final, in which the Saints prevailed 56-0 eight days ago.

That ten-try scoreline suggests a rout by the North West Men’s League champions over their Yorkshire Men’s League Division One mid-table opponents, but the contest wasn’t quite like that.

There was no score until midway through the first half, and it was Rangers who had arguably come closest to scoring, when Andrew Esmond was unable to get the ball down when over Orrell’s try-line.

But once the Wigan side hit the straps there was only going to be one winner, although coach Sean McHugh didn’t mind admitting: “I was concerned a bit in the opening quarter.

“We didn’t know anything about Brighouse and we didn’t know what to expect. They played well, certainly in the first 20 minutes, and they’d obviously reached the final on merit.

“We showed them every respect, which is our stance in every game, and concentrated on our own game. We had to play against ourselves.

“If we ever meet Hull KR or Wigan, say, (as North West Men’s League champions they will be involved in next year’s Challenge Cup) we’ll be determined to acquit ourselves well, and not embarrass ourselves, and that’s what Brighouse achieved.

“They seem to be very much like us, with the same philosophies. They are a nice club but on the day we were too strong for them, and I felt a bit for them to be honest. But it was massive for us, we have gone through the season undefeated and we have confidence but not arrogance; we stay humble and we paid for our coach travel to Featherstone, rather than take funds out of the club.

“All our players buy into that, and they didn’t get cocky even though we are now riding the crest of a wave. We’re local lads and there were 60 or 70 of our juniors, who actually know our players, in our dressing room afterwards, banging the drums and celebrating.

“Our aim is to retain the National Cup after having lost to Thatto Heath twelve months ago and I have to say that the organisation by BARLA was spot on, especially by Sue Taylor MBE and her husband John. Nothing was too much trouble for them while David Gray did a superb job with the match video.”

McHugh continued: “We brought three of our senior people, including my dad Dennis, who spent time as a coach with Phil Larder at Widnes, Keighley and Oldham.

“I was in the class of 1992, which did superbly, but the present side has surpassed that and next season we anticipate being in the new regionalised structure, playing the likes of Crosfields, Pilkingtons and Woolston. With this team, those are games we can look forward to although we’re now looking forward to a bit of a break, having played from January to November.

“We’ve only conceded four points in the last seven games and there was a big moment when our fullback, Jack McHugh, put in a try-saving tackle in the corner. The team’s celebrations of that were bigger than for any of our tries and summed up the spirit in our club.”

Brighouse coach Adam Hirst reflected: “The first 20 minutes was a real arm-wrestle but Orrell are a class side and once they cut loose it was difficult to contain them.

“Orrell are just a very fit team. Take nothing away from them, we just weren’t up to their standard. If we had their fitness levels, and skill sets, it could have been a different story but as the game went on we just got increasingly tired.

“Congratulations to Orrell but it was, nevertheless, a historic day for Brighouse Rangers and we’re very proud to have featured in the National Cup Final, none more perhaps than our props, Cameron and Matthew Bailey, who are the sons of our chairman Clarke Bailey, and it was very moving when our supporters clapped us off the pitch and, later, when they clapped us into our clubhouse when we got back to base.”

He continued: “We’d obviously like to go one better next year and, as I said before the final, we’re looking to recruit. Given that amateur Rugby League is restructuring next year it’s hard to say what division we’ll be in but, as things stand, we’re looking at promotion. And we’ll be adding another coach whose main job will be to focus on fitness.

“A big bonus is that through reaching the National Cup Final we’ll be in the Challenge Cup next year, as Orrell have already qualified through being North West Men‘s League champions. That will be huge for us.

“Fingers crossed we’ll draw someone similar to ourselves, but at the very least we’ve proved the pedigree of our club.”