George Williams reveals first words to Arron Lindop following Challenge Cup final heartbreak

George Williams told Arron Lindop that his Warrington Wolves team-mates still loved him and would have his back after the youngster’s mistake led to their gut-wrenching Challenge Cup final defeat.

Underdogs Warrington hit the front foot just before half-time against red-hot favourites Hull KR at Wembley on Saturday afternoon when Josh Thewlis flew over for the game’s opening try.

Holding a 6-2 lead at the break, they clung on to that same scoreline until the 78th minute, when Lindop failed in his efforts to divert the ball behind for a goal-line drop-out, and Robins winger Tom Davies dotted the ball down.

Mikey Lewis then converted to put KR 8-6 up, and with less than two minutes remaining by that point, there was little that Wire could offer in response.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Sam Powell opens up on Wembley ‘hurt’ as agonising Challenge Cup wait goes on

George Williams reveals first words to Arron Lindop following Challenge Cup final heartbreak

There had been debate over whether Lindop actually grounded the ball with his torso after missing the attempted flick behind the dead-ball line, but that theory has been proven incorrect now by the laws of the game and their interpretation.

The 19-year-old, like a number of his team-mates, was inconsolable following the final hooter at Wembley.

Speaking post-match, skipper Williams said: “To concede like that is heartbreaking to say the least. Horrible.

“There’s probably a couple of moments at the end (we needed to do better in). We got a repeat set and a short drop-out, and they got the ball back.

“If we catch that there, there’s a good chance we go on to win the game.

“Young Arron Lindop’s absolutely gutted in there, but he’ll be fine. He’s got 10/15 years of this, and I’m sure he’ll be back.

“I just gave him a hug, told him we all love him and that we’ve got his back. He’s going to be a superstar of our game, I really believe that.”

Williams has now lost three Challenge Cup finals, being beaten by Hull FC under the arch as a Wigan Warriors player back in 2017 and now tasting defeat in successive years in the capital with Warrington.

He continued: “Sometimes you’ve got to lose one to win one, and I’m sick of losing here. Hopefully next time I will.

“The one positive is that once we reflect a little bit, we’ll realise that we do have a good team here. We want to push to the finals.

We’re a good team, we’re a top team, we’ve just got to deliver. It’s making me sick talking about it to be honest, we did enough for 77 minutes and it was heartbreak.”

LRL RECOMMENDS: Warrington Wolves star set for lengthy absence after gruesome Challenge Cup final injury