You're still called 'Sheffield Eagles', so that'll do for us!

BTW - I'm not going to predict the hammering that everyone on here and on C&W is doing.
I think it'll be a whole lot tougher for us than many think.

I guess for Wigan supporters beating the Eagles will be like closure on for what must have been a nightmare day for them.

The new coach there has done a great job getting a team that for the last few seasons has under performed into a side that will undoubdtedly win at least one trophy this year. I do have time for Mr Lenagan after he came and spoke to his team's supporters after a humiliation by St Helens in Cardiff. I was watching on and the fans had a go but he listened and answered their concerns. Not many chairmen would do that.

For us, I guess this game couldn't have come at a worse time, we have a team of good championship standard players (maybe some will go higher) but at the moment something is missing.

No matter what the score I'll be happy with a better performance from us than previous weeks. the gulf between the top 8 or 10 in SL and the rest is getting bigger by the year and the history books won't show this as the shock result of the round unless........

there is a crash on the M62 and Woodhead is blocked by snow preventing them getting to the ground and the RFL make them forfeit the game

i have to admit im really looking forward to it now! it will be a great experience for our players, a chance to test ourselves against a team of the highest standard, and maybe re-live and remember some memories of that great day in '98

Oddly, *that* game still remains one of the highlights of my days watching RL.

I never saw Wigan win (live) at Wembley. The only Wembley final I ever went to was the '98 one (mainly due to only starting to go to live games in '97).

Anyway - My daughter and I were sat there at the end, still not quite able to believe that we'd actually lost, when some of the Sheffield team came around the stadium one last time with the trophy, and promptly handed it over to us (and several other mixed Wigan/Sheffield/ANOther fans).

The "closure" for me (if you want to call it that) came the following week (IIRC) when we absolutely mullered you at your place (something like 36-6), and I came out thinking "Why the hell couldn't we have done that at Wembley".

But again, the trophy was not only paraded, but passed in to the crowd and then passed around just about the entire fan-base of both clubs, before being safely returned to the players.

In how many other sports could you just "give" one of the highest trophies to the crowd and expect to get it back safely?

I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to this weekend - Not least because it's not at Don Valley, so I can leave the binoculars at home.

And I'm torn on the team selection too.
As much as I want us to give someone a mullering, I also want a decent game.
At least it shows that our coach is taking both you guys and the cup itself seriously.

See you down there guys, and good luck.

I'm looking forward to this weekend like the plague.

Great post and an excellent story!!

it will be an experience if nothing else! Character building and all that!

Pie Eyed

in contrast to that, it was the best day of my life. Starting off weeks before in preparation! We made hats, decorated massive sheets, got a variety of facepaints and when the day came we put it all together and got on our way. I didn't drink much as I was so nervous.

Sat in the stadium and was in awe, it was our day! When Nick Pinkney scored, I wanted to believe we could win, but it was early days and my God it wasn't until 5 mins before the end I started believing it. Then the hooter went, the tears started to flow and all my thoughts went to the club n players, back then we knew them all, seriously. For Sheffield Eagles this day was a day that will b remembered for ever, unlike Wigan who practically lived at Wembley, we would probably never be there again! We came, we saw and we conquered! Unfortunately the events for the club that followed were not what I expected.

Enjoy your day at BL and may the underdogs win!

wembley was one one of the best days of my life, there are no words to describe that feeling. just incredible. The journey back from wembley was amazing, the faces of the wigan fans said it all.

I can't believe Wigan fans seeing this as some kind of revenge and clsure for 98.

Would they rather have been Sheffield? Merged into non-existence and having years of struggling to get anywhere near where we were in 98? I think not.

Anyway, they got there revenge 7 days later when they beat us in the league...