Challenge Cup Final Preview with Tony Clubb

Wigan prop Tony Clubb returns to London for his first ever Wembley final.

The Warriors enforcer is preparing for an emotional Challenge Cup final bow, and the former London Broncos player is looking forward to returning home.

So does it feel real during Wembley week? “Yeah a little bit, you start speaking about it in the weeks leading into it.

“We had Huddersfield, Leeds and Salford ahead of it, so we tried to put it to the back of our mind, but now it’s here, it’s a bit surreal watching it all going on.

“It’s always going cause a big attraction, it’s such an iconic thing to win, it’s going to be a hard game, but one that we’re massively looking forward to.”

Shaun Wane’s team have the most enviable record of all time in the Challenge Cup, having won it an incredible 19 times, the last time being in 2013 against Hull.

But does that record weigh down on the team, or inspire them? “It inspires us mate, because, the teams that have done it before, they’re great teams, we know we’re a good team, we just haven’t shown it the whole year.

“We had old players come in, after the Salford game, they’d tell us of the great times they had in the Challenge Cup and we want to live that ourselves.

“But we know what lies ahead in Hull, a very, very good team, but it’s who turns up on the day, it’s a big occasion, it’s who turns up for that big occasion will win it.”

So how special will it be for him to go back to London? “It’s always going to be special to go back down and play in front of my family.

“A lot of them haven’t been up and see me play, and a lot of them don’t really know what rugby league is, so to let them all come to Wembley and watch me play will be special.”

With the game being viewed in Australia, and Hull and Wigan heading there in February, is it important to put on a show for the Australian audience?

“Yeah definitely, we’re always talked about as a lesser competition than the NRL, but it proves this year that we beat Cronulla quite well, and Warrington beat Brisbane.

“We’ll both put our best teams out, and we’ll get at it, we’ll show the Aussies that we’re not a lesser competition than them.

“I know money plays a factor in it, but we’ll still give our all, we’re going down there to put on a good show for them.”

What does he expect from his first Wembley final, and do Hull have an advantage after their experience last year? “To be honest I don’t really know what to expect, having been to a Grand Final, it’s a bit of a different feeling.

“There’s a bit more emphasis on the Challenge Cup because it is so iconic, and Wigan have a great affiliation with it.

“But Hull are looking to retain it, we know that, it’ll be massive for them to hold on to it, but we’re there to win it, we’re not there just to take part, we want to win it.

“That’s how Shaun Wane prepares us, we want to win it, and now we can’t wait for Saturday, it’s a special weekend… It’s a special week.

“You get the fans down at training, you’ve got a lot of media attention, and you’ve got to take all that in, we’re excited, and we’ll be ready come Saturday.”