SHEFFIELD EAGLES coach Craig Lingard says both he and his players would relish another crack at the 1895 Cup final as his side gear up for a last-eight clash with Bradford.
And the man who took the reins at the South Yorkshire club at the start of December believes there is unfinished Wembley business in both cases.
Lingard led Batley to the big match in 2023, when Halifax won 12-10, while Sheffield made last year’s showpiece, going down 50-6 to Wakefield.
The Eagles were in the inaugural winners of the knockout competition for clubs outside Super League back in 2019.
They defeated Widnes 36-18 at Wembley, with current captain Joel Farrell featuring in both of the club’s final appearances.
The quarter-final is at Bartercard Odsal on Sunday, and Lingard said: “It’s a tough test, but we’ll go and have a real dig.
“We talked about the 1895 Cup soon after I arrived, and it was clear that the players fancied another go, especially with the way the final went last year.
“Wakefield were obviously the Championship’s dominant team and really turned it on that day.
“When I went with Batley the year before, there was also disappointment at the outcome, so the players and I are of the same mindset that we’d like to return and try to put the record straight.
“I think we’d both benefit from having been there previously, both in terms of how to handle the build-up and the day itself.
“But there’s a long way to go still, and the first thing is playing to our maximum at Bradford.
“We’re still a developing side, but I think we’ve been producing longer periods of being where we want and need to be.
“After beating Doncaster at home in the 1895 Cup, we won at Featherstone in the league, and I was particularly pleased because they were different types of performances.”
