124 years in the making - the 2019 Challenge Cup Final

This year’s Challenge Cup Final was 124 years in the making. After all that time, two local rivals in St Helens and Warrington finally met in the final. It is odd in many way, two founder members of the Northern Union at the sport’s birth in 1895, two of the four clubs who have been ever present in Super League, two clubs that between them had played in 40 Challenge Cup Finals between them before yesterday had never met on the biggest stage.


Another odd quirk was that it was actually the two town’s football teams who were the only representatives of St Helens and Warrington to meet at the two towers in the 1987 FA Vase Trophy.

The rugby league teams had met in finals before. That was in the 1932, 1967 and 1982/83 Lancashire Cup Finals and a Premiership Final in 1977.


But with respect to those competitions, this was the first “major”. Whatever was to unfold on the field on a baking hot August Bank Holiday, we already knew that history was going to be made.

For the two sets of fans heading south to London, it was a very different experience. For the pre-match favourites St Helens, this was their first trip to Wembley since 2008. The excitement was palpable, especially for the younger generation of fans who has never experienced it. Something that was unthinkable

Conversely, for Warrington, this was a well-trodden path. Since that St Helens win in 2008, Warrington had been to Wembley on five occasions registering three victories. St Helens were the pre-match favourites, but Warrington more by way of big game experience. With the benefit of hindsight, this is something that perhaps was underestimated before the match.

We often speak about change in rugby league and our administrators speak of pride that “we are not afraid to innovate”. I often think this as a weakness of our game, a willingness to change for the sake of change. Making change to cover a lack of resilience when something goes awry or as a mask.

However, Wembley has been the tradition that has persisted. And as you see the arch in the distance and walk up Wembley way with thousands of other rugby league fans, you see a sea of colour. There is flag-waving, chanting and high-spirits among all. It really is something quite special. The pre-match traditions of the club’s chairmen leading out the two teams and the singing of abide with me are all glorious traditions which contribute to a majestic occasion.

This year’s build up to the final was possibly even more special than normal. A moment of poignancy before the game to remember Batley Bulldog’s Archie Bruce who died last weekend after making his debut. Then the delivery of the match ball by Taylor Prescott, the son of Steve Prescott, following the Steve Prescott Foundation’s latest endurance challenge. When rugby league comes together, we do it right.

The crowd of just over 62,000 is no doubt a concern. This game was between two of the better supported teams and boosted by a healthy contingent of Widnes fans attending primarily for the 1895 Cup Final. Despite this, Wembley was almost one third empty. The day of Wembley being the sport’s “big day out” has gone. Potential trips to Catalans, Toulouse, Toronto and the Magic Weekend has no question diminished that. The RFL’s future aim for the showpiece is to target the event to a wider audience beyond the traditional rugby league fan.

On to the game itself, and it was a lightening quick start. St Helens had cause to feel aggrieved by a number of refereeing decisions, but their reaction to them were worse. St Helens made 20 errors in the match and it is a very rare for a side to win any game with a such a high error count, let alone a final.

By contrast, Warrington were patient, they had excellent ball control and were highly disciplined. Their kicking game was broadly excellent. This is a fact that has received little praise. Naturally, Blake Austin’s absence was publicised. But Warrington were in fact shorn of both of the half backs that they thought would have taken the field before the season started.

Declan Patton has received some fervent criticism from Warrington fans this season, but on Saturday he delivered on the big stage. A word too for the Lance Todd trophy winner Daryl Clarke. This was his fourth Wembley final. The previous three occasions he was a runner up. A fate he suffered at Old Trafford twice. On Saturday, he ran the show and few can begrudge him the honour of the man of the match award or his match-clinching try.

During Warrington’s recent wretched run of form, Steve Price has been questioned too. Yet he has made every final since his arrival at Warrington at the start of the 2018 season. Time will tell whether he can continue that record come the Grand Final in October. If Warrington can retain second spot, they will certainly be fancied to make it all the way.

The Challenge Cup may be a separate competition to Super League, but the two do interact with each other. In recent years, St Helens and Warrington have found their big game record under the microscope. The loser of Saturday’s game was always going to find that the scrutiny intensified.

St Helens have now lost five of the last six finals they have taken part in, with a semi final record that is only marginally better. When St Helens fans talk about big games, the first word is usually “if”.

“If Paul Wellens and Michael Shenton had not got injured in the 2011 Grand Final, then maybe we would have won.” Of the 2017 play off semi final “If Mark Percival had kicked better, or Ryan Morgan had not conceded the last second penalty, we would have got to the Grand Final”. It is not a trait that is limited to the finals that St Helens lose. Many to this day ask “If Ben Flower had not been sent off, would we have won the 2014 Grand Final”.

It has so often been a case of what might have been. Had things gone differently, St Helens may have had an era of dominance, instead they have only won one major trophy in the last decade. This unenviable final record has transcended numerous coaches, playing groups and even stadiums. Yet the club as a collective has not been able to find the answer to their big game woes.

The answer certainly isn’t obvious. But what St Helens have seemed to lack certainly in the last two years is an ability to play, what Australian coaches might call “finals footy”. They lacked everything required to win a big game: patience, ball control and composure. The same skills that Warrington demonstrated on Saturday. St Helens must resolve this if they want to return to winner’s row.

I do wonder how this result may impact the remainder of the Super League season. The aura of invincibility and the fear factor that St Helens may have held for other Super League clubs has been swooped away in 80 minutes. When St Helens have been placed under duress in a big game, they have not been able to cope. It is inevitable that they will face similar situations in the play offs, the fate of the Super League title may depend upon how they react to it.

The Challenge Cup often impacts on Super League form. Another as yet unanswered question is how it will impact Warrington. Will it buoy them and lead to them kicking on to secure second place and give them the confidence to break their Super League hoodoo? Or will it have the opposite effect and hamper them in Super League as it has done with other recent winners? Warrington’s next game against Salford on Thursday will be a tough game. The short turnaround will not help their cause, but the players will be on cloud nine having proved near enough all pundits wrong by winning the Challenge Cup.

Warrington’s final record has been equally poor. Before Saturday, they had lost their previous six finals. But by 5:00pm on Saturday, the hurt of the previous final defeats was relieved. After six occasions of watching opponents celebrate after finals, it was Warrington’s turn. And celebrate they did.

The season is far from over and we have one more prize to be handed out. Saturday’s result has torn up the pre-written script. We are in for a thrilling end that I for one will certainly not be brave enough to predict.