Challenge Cup Final - In Review

What a day it was at Wembley yesterday! As one of the lucky 40,000 or so fans to be in attendance, it reminded me of what is great about our sport.

When we had dreams of summer rugby league all those years ago, this is what many would have foreseen. Hot, sunny days with athletes of the highest class giving their all competing for big honours. Large crowds, with fans from all clubs, mixing together and enjoying a fabulous occcasion.

The 1895 Cup Final was a high scoring thriller, with York narrowing the gap to just seven points by the final siren, in a match that finished 41-34 to Featherstone. There could be little doubt though that the Rovers deserved their triumph. It has been a fantastic addition to the Wembley final to ensure that two sides from the lower leagues can showcase their skills on national TV and in the national stadium.

As for the Challenge Cup Final (and the 1895 Cup Final for that matter), the first thing to point out was how difficult it must have been to play in. The St Helens fans were positioned in the end of Wembley which is an accidental suntrap. At half time, the vast majority of those fans retreated to the shade of the concourse, such was the stifling nature of the heat.

It was a challenge to sit and watch a match in these conditions. To play an 80-minute match at such intensity is a credit to all four sets of players.

Castleford played as I expected, in a similar way to their semi-final win over Warrington. Daryl Powell is a shrewd coach and knew that a forward battle would not suit his side. If Castleford were to win, it would involve attacking St Helens at the edges and exposing weakenesses.

St Helens did start the better and took a deserved lead. Castleford's equalising score was against the run of play, but was stunning. Lance Todd Trophy winner Niall Evalds backed up a flowing move to collect a well-weighted Peter Mata'utai kick to level.

Castleford then hit the front and dominated the remainder of the first half. Looking at the game in hindsight, Castleford's inability to turn their dominance into a lead of more than six points was crucial. If that lead had even been extended to seven, it may have prevented St Helens from taking the penalty kicks that ultimately saw them home.

St Helens were rattled in the first half and looked like a side who needed the half time siren. It came at a good time for the Saints, who were far more composed in the second half. Tries from Roby, Makinson and Amor, combined with penalty goals from Coote, saw the Saints win by 26-12.

For St Helens, Roby rolled back the years. The 35 year old produced an 80-minute performance of the highest order. He is a quiet captain but leads his side by example. Roby has now captained St Helens to all major trophies bar the World Club Challenge. Whether it is this year or next that he retires, he will be remembered as an all-time great of the club.

From the oldest player on the field, to the youngest. Jack Welbsy. This boy has got the potential to go far. At half time, due to an injury to Theo Fages, Welsby was asked to play in the half back role, when he would not have trained for that. Welsby was a stand off in his academy days, so the position is not foreign to him. Saying that, the pressure to most would have been immense in a Challenge Cup final.

Yet, he was composed and set up Tommy Makinson's second half score from nothing, a try that ultimately settled the game. By the age of 20, Welsby has scored the winning try in a Grand Final, set up a crucial score in a winning Challenge Cup final and has been called up to the England squad. I will try to avoid comparing his achievements at the age of 20 to my own...Back to Welsby, we should always be careful in over-hyping young players, but I repeat, his potential is limitless.

It is hard not to feel for Castleford. They played well. They executed the game plan well. But sometimes it is not enough in the face of quality opposition. Niall Evalds joined the club of Lance Todd Trophy winners in a losing side. He scored a try and his scything runs caused St Helens problems all day.

Evalds has now lost three major finals, excelling in at least two of them. He is a very sharp and classy operator. His post match interview was filled with emotion, understandably, his frustrations running deep at not being able to claim the first major honour of his career. Some fantastic players do go through a career without winning a trophy (take his club captain Michael Shenton for example, or Kevin Brown), I hope Evalds does get that trophy he deserves and he has plenty of years ahead of him to do it.

The wait of 13 years to win a Challenge Cup is not long for many clubs, but given St Helens' successes of late, it has felt a long time coming for the fans and club. I often wonder if this pressure has lay heavy on the players, with St Helens often saving their worst performances for the Challenge Cup. Even yesterday was far from perfect, especially in the first half. But you must credit Castleford for making them uncomfortable.

The last word goes to Kristian Woolf, St Helens head coach. I have read one fans opinion on social media today which said: "Woolf has achieved what many before him who maybe even had better squads could not." Whilst some St Helens fans gripe at a defensive mindset, this is an inescapable fact. Woolf, I understand, will remain at St Helens for the 2022 season but will probably return to Australia for 2023. Whoever follows him will have quite the task at hand, as yesterday, Woolf created a dynasty.