On Yorkshire Day, it was perhaps fitting that Hull Kingston Rovers set up the second consecutive all-Yorkshire final in the Challenge Cup. This competition has a foundation built on underdogs, and after Castleford’s incredible run to the final in 2014, Hull KR saw off the strong favourites Warrington, thus ending their long exile from the showpiece final.
Not since 1986 and the days of John Dorahy and Gavin Miller have Hull KR graced Wembley and they ended that long absence by following their shock win against Wigan in the last 16 to set up a meeting with Leeds on 29 August.
Hull KR will be fighting for their place in Super League when the Super 8s begin next week after finishing in the bottom four, but they are now one win away from their first Challenge Cup triumph since 1980, as well as a place in the World Club Series next year competing against the best the NRL has to offer.
“It’s one of the best days of my career,” said Chris Chester, the Hull KR coach. “I’m really proud of the boys’ efforts. Towards the back of the second half we found a way to win. People have written us off all year but there’s a lot of confidence and belief in this group and we want to go one step further.”
Warrington missed out on a fourth final in seven years, but with the club in the running for a top-four finish in Super League as the business end of the season approaches, they must now switch their focus towards their first Super League title. The arrival of the NRL half-back Chris Sandow will be a timely boost.
“We got off to a bright start but we lost control of the match,” Tony Smith, the Warrington coach, said. “The tempo changed and it suited Hull KR. They deserved to win the game but we just didn’t adjust to the switch in tempo properly.”
The Hull KR chairman, Neil Hudgell, said: “It’s been a long time coming and I’m pleased for the supporters because I’m one of them and I know about the pain.” He estimated that his club will take 25,000-30,000 fans to Wembley.
Rovers made a poor start by letting the kick-off go over the deadball line and Ryan Atkins then crossed for Warrington after 73 seconds, but for the remainder of the first half their defence was perfect.
They backed up that solid work with tries from Josh Mantellato and Ken Sio to take a 10-6 lead. After Mantellato tagged on a routine penalty eight minutes from the break, Hull KR had a six-point advantage that was no less than they deserved.
Warrington piled on the pressure in the opening minutes of the second half, but after their full-back, Stefan Ratchford, spilled a towering kick from Maurice Blair, Hull KR struck again when Kevin Larroyer squeezed out of a four‑man tackle to touch down, with the conversion stretching the lead to 12.
Another penalty from the Italy international made it 20-6 heading into the final quarter, before Warrington set up a tense finish courtesy of tries from the impressive Richie Myler and Ben Curries, the second-row playing in the backs after Brendan Ormsby suffered a broken jaw. Gareth O’Brien’s two conversions reduced the deficit to two points and in between those tries Joel Monaghan lost the ball under pressure from some desperate Rovers defence when diving over in the corner.
With errors reigning supreme as the rain continued to drive down, Hull KR sealed the victory when the hooker Shaun Lunt – twice a losing finalist against Warrington – crashed over with five minutes remaining.
After upsets against two of Super League’s heavyweights you just wonder if Hull KR, who lost their last four league games, can provide one more shock.
