FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  

Too close to call was the opinion of most pundits as the two sides, neck and neck in the Super League, Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants went head-to-head at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Challenge Cup Final

The two sides last met in a Challenge Cup final in the 1919-20 season when it was Huddersfield who emerged as 21-10 victors in a game played in front of 14,000 fans at Headingley in Leeds. Wigan have lifted the trophy on nineteen occasions, Huddersfield seven times, Wigan´s last win in 2013 but there would be few from West Yorkshire who had witnessed a Huddersfield cup win as they hadn´t lifted the trophy for sixty-nine years.

The bookies had made the Warriors slight favourites but most in the stadium had no idea what the next eighty minutes would deliver.

Huddersfield got the 121st Challenge Cup final underway as they kicked to Wigan but with just under a minute on the clock the Warriors were penalised for an obstruction and Tui Lolohea kicked the penalty from thirty metres to start the scoreboard ticking.

The Giants were looking the stronger side early on but some tremendous last ditch Wigan defence kept them at bay until the sixteenth minute when Ricky Leutele finally found some space to run the angle and stretch to ground five metres in from the left corner flag. Lolohea hit the near post with his conversion attempt, the Giants 6-0 ahead.

On twenty-four the Giants were forced to dropout under their own sticks after Lolohea was pushed back into his own in-goal and on the second tackle after the restart a deft pass from Morgan Smithies found Harry Smith to go the last ten metres and dot the ball down. Smith added the conversion to level the scores, thirteen minutes from the interval.

A jinking run from Chris McQueen on thirty-three, twice throwing the dummy to Jermain McGillvary, saw the second rower go over from ten metres out. Lolohea was again off target with the boot as the Giants spurned another two potential points.

Two minutes after the restart a moment of Bevan French magic, speeding down the right wing, before he found Jai Field inside in support to take the pass and go over from ten metres. Smith added the conversion and the Warriors hit the front for the first time in the game.

A forty-ninth minute Lolohea penalty went under the cross bar as the Giants looked to draw level again, an opportunity missed as the kicker´s accuracy dropped to twenty-five percent.

A Leutele break was rewarded with a penalty on fifty-six after a high tackle and on the third play McGillvary squeezed over in the right corner to slam the ball down one-handed. Once again, the kick was missed, the Giants back into a two-point lead.

With seven minutes remaining Field broke down the left wing and looked to be clear before a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Lolohea forced him to throw the ball inside and gift the ball to the Giants. Cade Cust picked up a serious looking wrist injury in the resulting melee as the side scrapped for the loose ball.

Four minutes remained when Liam Marshall collected a Smith grubber to the corner to dive over the line for the winning try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Smith couldn´t add the conversion but the Warriors had a two point lead.

It was a edgy and nervy cup final with errors from both sides, but there was no doubting the dedication from both squads and their desire to win and pick up the trophy. Wigan had the staying power to overcome the Huddersfield onslaught and win the game thanks to couple of moments of genius from French and Smith. The seven decades of drought continue for the Giants, Wigan get their name on the famous trophy for the twentieth time.

McQueen was announced as the Lance Todd winner on the losing side and the accolade was scant consolation for the loss.

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea (G), McGillvary (T), Cudjoe, Leutele (T), Senior I, Cogger, Russell, Hill, Levi, Wilson, McQueen (T), Jones, Yates. Subs: English, Greenwood, Golding, Trout.

Wigan Warriors: Field (T), French, Thornley, Bibby, Marshall (T), Cust, Smith (T, 2G), Singleton, O´Neill, Byrne, Farrell, Bateman, Smithies.  Subs: Leuluai, Mago, Ellis, Havard.

Half-Time: 10-6.  

Full-Time: 14-16.

Score Progression: 2-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-6, 10-6, : HT : 10-10, 10-12, 14-12, 14-16 : FT.

Lead Exchange: Huddersfield – Square – Huddersfield – Square – Wigan – Huddersfield - Wigan.

Referee: James Child.



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 28th May 2022 4:57 PM | Views : 24564 | Replies : 1 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
7m
Ground Improvements
jonh
199
12m
Transfer Talk V5
batleyrhino
519
16m
Fixtures
Deadcowboys1
13
52m
DoR - New Coach - Investor & Adam - New signings
ComeOnYouUll
4049
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
37s
New Kit
Cokey
70
39s
Fixtures
Deadcowboys1
13
44s
ALL NEW 49ERS ERA LEEDS UTD THREAD
tad rhino
2611
44s
Rumours and signings v9
Mark_P1973
28902
1m
2025 Fixtures
Jemmo
1
1m
BORED The Band Name Game
Boss Hog
63268
1m
Shirt reveal coming soon
Khlav Kalash
2
1m
Shopping list for 2025
HU8HFC
5588
2m
Spirit of the Rhinos
chapylad
6
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Shirt reveal coming soon
Khlav Kalash
2
TODAY
Opening Championship and League One Fixtures for 2025 Released
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
Getting a new side to gel
Wigan Bull
2
TODAY
Fixtures
Deadcowboys1
13
TODAY
Writers required
H.G.S.A
1
TODAY
2025 Fixtures
Jemmo
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Thu 13th Feb
SL
20:00
Wigan-Leigh
Fri 14th Feb
SL
20:00
Hull KR-Castleford
SL
20:00
Catalans-Hull FC
Sat 15th Feb
SL
15:00
Leeds - Wakefield
SL
17:30
St.Helens-Salford
Sun 16th Feb
SL
15:00
Huddersfield-Warrington
Thu 20th Feb
SL
20:00
Wakefield - Hull KR
Fri 21st Feb
SL
20:00
Warrington-Catalans
SL
20:00
Hull FC-Wigan
Sat 22nd Feb
SL
15:00
Salford-Leeds
SL
20:00
Castleford-St.Helens
Sun 23rd Feb
SL
14:30
Leigh-Huddersfield
Thu 6th Mar
SL
20:00
Hull FC-Leigh
Fri 7th Mar
SL
20:00
Castleford-Salford
SL
20:00
St.Helens-Hull KR
Sat 8th Mar
SL
17:30
Catalans-Leeds
Sun 9th Mar
SL
17:30
Warrington - Wakefield
SL
17:30
Wigan-Huddersfield
Thu 20th Mar
SL
20:00
Salford-Huddersfield
Fri 21st Mar
SL
20:00
St.Helens-Warrington
This is an inplay table and live positions can change.
Mens Betfred Super League XXVIII ROUND : 1
 PLDFADIFFPTS
Wigan 29 768 338 430 48
Hull KR 29 731 344 387 44
Warrington 29 769 351 418 42
Leigh 29 580 442 138 33
Salford 28 556 561 -5 32
St.Helens 28 618 411 207 30
 
Catalans 27 475 427 48 30
Leeds 27 530 488 42 28
Huddersfield 27 468 658 -190 20
Castleford 27 425 735 -310 15
Hull FC 27 328 894 -566 6
LondonB 27 317 916 -599 6
This is an inplay table and live positions can change.
Betfred Championship 2024 ROUND : 1
 PLDFADIFFPTS
Wakefield 27 1032 275 757 52
Toulouse 26 765 388 377 37
Bradford 28 723 420 303 36
York 29 695 501 194 32
Widnes 27 561 502 59 29
Featherstone 27 634 525 109 28
 
Sheffield 26 626 526 100 28
Doncaster 26 498 619 -121 25
Halifax 26 509 650 -141 22
Batley 26 422 591 -169 22
Swinton 28 484 676 -192 20
Barrow 25 442 720 -278 19
Whitehaven 25 437 826 -389 18
Dewsbury 27 348 879 -531 4
Hunslet 1 6 10 -4 0
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
7m
Ground Improvements
jonh
199
12m
Transfer Talk V5
batleyrhino
519
16m
Fixtures
Deadcowboys1
13
52m
DoR - New Coach - Investor & Adam - New signings
ComeOnYouUll
4049
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
37s
New Kit
Cokey
70
39s
Fixtures
Deadcowboys1
13
44s
ALL NEW 49ERS ERA LEEDS UTD THREAD
tad rhino
2611
44s
Rumours and signings v9
Mark_P1973
28902
1m
2025 Fixtures
Jemmo
1
1m
BORED The Band Name Game
Boss Hog
63268
1m
Shirt reveal coming soon
Khlav Kalash
2
1m
Shopping list for 2025
HU8HFC
5588
2m
Spirit of the Rhinos
chapylad
6
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Shirt reveal coming soon
Khlav Kalash
2
TODAY
Opening Championship and League One Fixtures for 2025 Released
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
Getting a new side to gel
Wigan Bull
2
TODAY
Fixtures
Deadcowboys1
13
TODAY
Writers required
H.G.S.A
1
TODAY
2025 Fixtures
Jemmo
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS


Visit the RLFANS.COM SHOP
for more merchandise!