Warrington and Hull KR battle for cup supremacy

Betfred Men's Challenge Cup final: Warrington Wolves v Hull KR

Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Saturday, 7 June Kick-off: 15:00 BST Coverage: Live connected BBC One from 14:00 BST; commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3 and BBC Radio Merseyside and BBC Radio Humberside; unrecorded matter connected BBC Sport website & app

The Challenge Cup makes its return to nan superior pinch 3 games taking spot nether nan Wembley arch connected a glorious time of rugby league.

After nan curtain is brought down connected this season's women's competition, nan men return to nan section arsenic Warrington Wolves look Hull KR.

But will Sam Burgess triumph his first trophy arsenic a caput coach and lead Warrington to a 10th triumph successful nan competition?

Or will Super League leaders Hull KR proceed their ascent into nan echelons of bluish hemisphere rugby convention pinch a first Challenge Cup successful almost half a century?

BBC Sport has taken a look astatine what is astatine stake.

"I effort not to get caught up successful nan imagination onshore stuff. I conscionable enactment successful nan moment. We cognize nan situation successful beforehand of america and we cognize they're a bully side. We've sewage to activity connected getting a bully capacity out.

"If you inquire maine that mobility aft nan game, I mightiness springiness you a different answer. For now I'll conscionable enactment successful nan coming moment."

It is adjacent to opportunity that Burgess is not losing slumber complete nan truth he has a winless grounds arsenic a subordinate and coach astatine Wembley.

Warrington were connected nan losing broadside nether Burgess successful past season's final, arsenic they were defeated by eventual quadruple winners Wigan Warriors.

Meanwhile arsenic a player, Burgess started for England successful their losing 2013 Rugby League World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

Burgess said he has learned a batch from his 18 months arsenic a caput coach, including plentifulness from his astir caller acquisition astatine nan nationalist stadium.

"There were a mates of things I got, I wouldn't opportunity wrong, but we could person been amended successful a fewer areas. It won't hap doubly successful a statement pinch those things," he said.

"Whether there's a quality successful result we'll see. Any spot of acquisition you tin get, it was my first twelvemonth arsenic a caput coach and I learned plenty."

For Willie Peters' Hull KR, nan entity is nan limit, having dazzled successful Super League this season.

Peters has led his broadside to nan Challenge Cup last for nan 2nd clip successful 3 seasons but has been connected nan losing broadside successful some nan 2023 last and past season's Super League Grand Final.

He said that his broadside person had a difficult clip maintaining their awesome shape having group up Saturday's travel to Wembley almost a period ago.

"It's a difficult play for nan players because there's nary uncertainty they would person been reasoning astir this crippled 3 weeks ago," Peters told BBC Sport.

"But wherever I tin spot nan maturation successful nan broadside is that they are capable to put it speech and spell aft each Super League game, because immoderate squad that plays america knows they person to play well, but they are besides going aft america to hit america because we are astatine nan apical of nan array astatine nan moment.

"We cognize that each squad is going to travel to effort to sound america off."

Hull KR person mislaid only erstwhile successful each competitions this play - against Wigan successful Super League - but person still group nan gait among their rivals this term.

But Peters knows that it would beryllium that his broadside person surgery into nan apical tier of clubs successful Super League if they were capable to move their shape into winning a trophy.

"So what nan players person done successful being capable to grip what goes into it and astir a Challenge Cup last and putting it aside, they've done a singular occupation because it tin beryllium difficult," he added.

"Now it's astir conscionable focusing connected this week and getting this week right, which is different again because you can't get this 1 wrong."

Hull KR's astir caller triumph successful nan Challenge Cup came successful 1980 erstwhile they hit metropolis rivals Hull FC successful a constrictive 10-5 matter astatine Wembley.

Now, a caller procreation of Robins players guidelines connected nan cusp of adding a 2nd Challenge Cup last triumph to their history.

Second-rower James Batchelor started for nan Robins successful their astir caller Challenge Cup last successful 2023 but was connected nan losing broadside against Leigh Leopards that day.

He moved to KR from Wakefield Trinity up of nan 2023 play and believes his profession has prospered since leaving his hometown club.

"I made a determination that I thought would thief maine turn arsenic a player, arsenic reliable arsenic that determination was, and I consciousness vindicated successful that now," Batchelor told BBC Sport.

"Moving distant from my location municipality I've decidedly grown arsenic a person, and nan religion that Willie has put successful maine successful each that clip has helped maine turn arsenic a subordinate arsenic well."

As for nan prestige of playing astatine Wembley, Batchelor said that nan sheen of taking to nan section loses its lustre if you cannot bring location nan win.

"Yes, Wembley has a batch of history down it but if you don't get nan triumph it doesn't really matter and you're not excessively bothered astir wherever you've played," he added.

"So I'm much conscionable focused connected nan crippled and doing nan occupation for illustration we do each week and getting it done. You tin beryllium and bask it afterwards."

Unsurprisingly, Warrington Wolves sanction skipper George Williams successful their squad aft he declared his fittingness earlier this week.

Also, full-back Arthur Mourgue is missing from nan Hull KR line-up arsenic he is cup-tied having moved to Craven Park from Catalans Dragons aft nan commencement of this season.

Warrington (from): Williams, Yates, Tai, Vaughan, Powell, Ratchford, Harrison, Fitzgibbon, Lindop, Wrench, Holroyd, Sneyd, Currie, King, Crowther, Russell, Philbin, Josh Thewlis, Jake Thewlis, Dufty, Wood.

Hull KR (from): Davies, Hiku, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Waerea-Hargreaves, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella, McIlorum, Luckley, Whitbread, Broadbent, Richardson, Tanginoa, Brown, Doro, Leyland, Horne.