Thirteen Challenge Cup facts
We take a look at some trivia related to today’s Carnegie Challenge Cup final between Huddersfield and Warrington.
TODAY’S Carnegie Challenge Cup final is the first since 1986 to exclude the “big four” clubs of Bradford, Leeds, St Helens and Wigan. In that year Castleford beat Hull Kingston Rovers 15-14.
THE game today is also the 107th Challenge Cup final in total and the 66th to be played at Wembley.
WARRINGTON have won the cup a total of five times while Huddersfield have six cup wins to their name.
HUDDERSFIELD and Warrington have met twice before in the final and the Yorkshire side have won both encounters: in 1913 winning 9-5 at Headingley, and in 1933 winning 21-17 at Wembley.
EACH side has each won twice at Wembley. Other cup wins came before the final was staged at the national stadium, while in 1954 Warrington beat Halifax in the famous replay at Odsal and Huddersfield were cup winners during World War Two when the final as staged over two legs.
THE last time each club appeared in the cup final it was against the clubs they defeated in the semi finals this year: in 2006 Huddersfield were beaten by St Helens and in 1990 Warrington lost to Wigan.
INTERESTINGLY this year’s semi finals were an exact replica of 2004, right down to the venues, except that he results were the opposite: Wigan beat Warrington at Widnes and St Helens beat Huddersfield at Warrington.
IN that year St Helens beat Wigan at Cardiff. The Giants have four players in their squad from that Wigan side – David Hodgson, Kevin Brown, Stephen Wild and Danny Sculthorpe – while a fifth – Keith Mason – played for the Saints.
WOLVES coach Tony Smith has coached in one previous Challenge Cup final: he was in charge of Leeds Rhinos when they lost 25-24 to Hull FC at Cardiff.
WHEN Warrington last won the cup in 1974 they beat Huddersfield in the first round. They defeated Featherstone Rovers in the final that year, and did so again this year in the fifth round.
HUDDERSFIELD won the last Challenge Cup to be played before the First World War and the first after the cessation of hostilities.
THIS season in Super League each side has been victorious against the other at home: Huddersfield won 28-10 at the Galpharm Stadium and Warrington won 40-18 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. The aggregate score is 50-46 to the Wolves.
WHEN Huddersfield won the cup in 1933 it was their fourth triumph, more than any other club at the time. Their 1953 triumph made it six times, a record only equalled by Leeds.
Most Challenge Cup wins:
1. Wigan – 17
2. St Helens – 12
3. Leeds – 11
4. Widnes – 8
5. Bradford – 6
= Huddersfield – 6
7. Halifax – 5
= Wakefield – 5
= Warrington – 5