To the victors go the spoils – and congratulations to both Huddersfield Giants and Wigan Warriors on their return to the Challenge Cup final for the first time in 13 and five years respectively.
After impressive semi-final performances against Hull KR and St Helens at Elland Road on Saturday, both deserve their trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium two weeks on Saturday, May 28, for what as Garry Schofield points out in his latest column (page nine) is an attractive clash between two bright British coaches.
Winning the Challenge Cup in his first season at the helm would be quite an achievement for Wigan’s Matt Peet, while Huddersfield’s Ian Watson is looking forward to a second final in three years after taking Salford Red Devils to the showpiece.
While Wigan have lifted the silverware a record 19 times, their cherry and white colours haven’t adorned the trophy since 2013, when they beat Hull 16-0 at Wembley.
Meanwhile the last of Huddersfield’s six final triumphs, the second of which was achieved by the celebrated ‘Team of All Talents’ in 1915, came in 1953, when St Helens were seen off 15-10.
Huddersfield Town won promotion to football’s top tier that season, and are in the Championship play-offs this year, so there could be another double celebration, although there’s a lot of hard work ahead for both clubs.
And let’s not forget that Wigan Athletic, with whom the Warriors share the DW Stadium, have already won promotion from football’s third tier, so there could be a second party for the town’s sports fans to enjoy.
Interestingly, the Giants meet the Warriors in Super League on Thursday.
And what of the beaten semi-finalists?
St Helens, their hopes of a second successive double now over – at least for their men’s team, since the women retained their Challenge Cup by beating Leeds at Elland Road (see our extensive report on pages 20 and 21) – return to Super League action at home to Hull on Friday.
And Kristian Woolf and his side know Wigan are breathing down their necks, buoyed by avenging their comprehensive Good Friday defeat at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
For Hull KR, it’s a visit to Castleford on Sunday.
While they beat Wakefield in the first match after Tony Smith’s unexpected announcement that he will leave the club at the end of the season, Rovers have produced two disappointing displays in a row – at Leeds in the league, then against Huddersfield across the West Yorkshire city at Elland Road.
Are their hopes of a second successive appearance in the play-offs in peril?
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