The 45 year wait is over

Winning. In finals, that is all that matters. Whether you win by two points in the most unconvincing fashion imaginable or put in a performance that will be revered for generations, the prize is the same.

Hull KR put in their ugliest performance of the season in Saturday's Challenge Cup final (according to captain Elliot Minchella). It matters not one jot because they still managed to win.

I was staggered by pre-match predictions that Hull KR would breeze past Warrington (not said with hindsight may I add). 

Hull KR had a second row at centre, they were missing their full back and they were without their first two choice goal kickers.

Warrington had big players missing too, namely Matty Ashton and Danny Walker. And whilst they have been so poor at times this season, they have shown glimpses of class. They have shown they can raise their game for 80 minutes but not consistently. 

It was entirely plausible that Warrington would raise their game for the Challenge Cup Final and if they were to do so, the game was always going to be close. Especially when you added in the accurately forecasted deluge, which tends to make a game more fractious.

Both teams deserve credit for keeping the error count so low in filthy conditions. Marc Sneyd was exceptional and caused mayhem with his kicking game. The two sides seemed to cancel each other out.

Even the two tries were examples of that. Warrington's came from a highly fortuitous deflection that guided itself with laser-like precision to Josh Thewlis. Hull KR's came from a Warrington error. Neither side truly broke the other down.

The high stakes nature of the game and closeness of the scoreboard meant that the final was gripping and had this neutral's heart beating at a rapid rate. I did not think it was a particularly entertaining game though, with very few clear cut chances for either side.

Low scoring games can be some of the best but the lack of real attacking chances, the absence of any exceptional scrambling defence and a game that was primarily played in the middle third of the field meant that this was not one of them.

The game was ultimately settled by a Mikey Lewis conversion. The pressure must have been enormous. A kick to win your side its first Challenge Cup in 45 years. From a wide angle. In horrible conditions. And when the only reason you are taking the kicks at goal is because the first two options are unavailable.

To kick the goal and win the game against that backdrop takes incredible nerve. Any doubts that some may have had about Mikey Lewis' big game plays were evaporated in that moment. Many experienced goalkickers would have missed in those circumstances.

There were suggestions in some quarters that the best side lost. I have never understood this idea. The aim of a rugby league match is to score more points than your opponent. Everything else is secondary. If you fail to score more points that your opponent, then you are not the better team.

If you had endless chances and your opponent had one and you lost, you were not the better team. You were the worst of the two teams because you failed to take your chances. 

Where now for both sides? Warrington face a fight to reach the Super League play offs. It must be so frustrating being a Warrington fan. In my view, the side has put in some performances this year which, if repeated with any degree of consistency, would give them a chance at a top 3 finish. 

That consistency has been sorely lacking. The gap between Warrington's best and Warrington's worst is a chasm. Narrow that gap and they will definitely be in the play offs. Keep up as they have been doing and they won't. I am interested to see how they react to defeat in such heartbreaking circumstances. 

The first test is Leeds away on Saturday evening. A hard game at the best of times but maybe exactly what Warrington need now to judge where they are.

For Hull KR, attention turns back to trying to top the league. Many deride the importance of this achievement but it is clear how important it is to Willie Peters when you look at his squad selection for the match against St Helens, one week before the Cup final.

Wigan are chasing Hull KR hard and that race has got many more twists and turns to come. Very few sides win the Challenge Cup and back it up with a Super League title in the same year. Even some exceptional sides over the years have failed to do so.

Will Hull KR struggle, at least for a while, after such an emotional high? Or can they ride the crest of wave to power on to more glory? In the short term, they have a pretty favourable fixture list. It is likely they will not need to play at their best to defeat Catalans and Castleford in the next two weeks.

But these are questions for another day. Let's get back to Saturday.

The game is about winning. Hull KR have won. The East side of the city will party like they haven't done for 45 years. And doubtlessly, people will be remembering friends and relatives who they would have loved to share the moment with, who are no longer with us.

Sport can unite people in that way. Congratulations to Hull KR. I would say enjoy your success but I am sure you already are doing so.