Rooney ready to mastermind cup shock
Barrow stand-off Jamie Rooney is urging his team-mates to produce another big shock when they face St Helens in the quarter-finals of the Carnegie Challenge Cup on Saturday.
Rooney masterminded a second-half fight back against Castleford in the fourth round, scoring 18 points in their 34-28 victory and the 30-year old believes that the win has given them added confidence heading into the game against opponents who are riding high in Engage Super League.
“The Challenge Cup is full of stories of shocks and all we can do is our best to try and achieve another one,” said Rooney.
“We are playing a pretty good side in Saints but it is a one-off game and we will give it our best shot.
“Doing what we did against Castleford in the last round has given us a lot of confidence.”
The clash at Knowsley Road has given the former England international another tilt at a possible semi-final spot after having his only previous chance taken off him.
Rooney was a regular in the Wakefield team in 2008 but agonisingly missed out on selection against eventual finalists Hull FC and Rooney is determined to make up for that disappointment by putting in a big performance against St Helens at Knowsley Road.
The former Wakefield and Castleford stand-off said: “It was a disappointing experience for me. It never seemed to happen for me at Wakefield after that and I’m enjoying my fresh start at Barrow.
“We have a lot of talent in our side who can achieve a lot in the game. This Cup tie is a good chance for us to go out and prove that we can do it on a bigger stage.”
Raiders will go into the game with little experience against top flight opposition but Rooney believes that the game will provide the perfect opportunity to showcase their Super League credentials.
“There are a few players on our side who have not played against a big side like Saints before and it will be a big experience for them,” added Rooney.
“They should go out and enjoy it because it’s not often that you get to play in the Challenge Cup quarter final against a team like Saints.
“But we’ve got to remember that we want to be playing teams like Saints regularly at some stage by getting into Super League.