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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
THE WRAP-UP PODCAST: The final word on the most painful of defeats
A PLACE that holds so many happy memories is fast becoming something of a graveyard for Warrington Wolves. Those three Challenge Cup Final victories in four years in 2009, 2010 and 2012 will always be remembered but now, four of their five trips to Wembley Stadium since then have ended in defeat. Advertisement And in the circumstances, this was perhaps the most painful of the lot as despite a superb performance on the day, Sam Burgess' side saw victory snatched away at the death by Hull KR. We've brought you plenty of post-match reaction since the full-time hooter sounded on Saturday afternoon but now, our final word comes in the shape of our match review podcast "The Wrap-Up." Our Warrington Wolves reporter Matt Turner hosts with help from Wire fans Gareth Dunning and Rob Croston to help unpack the key moments of the 8-6 defeat. We bring you head coach Sam Burgess' press conference in full while we also bring you a chat with Marc Sneyd, who became only the second player in history to win the Lance Todd Trophy three times having been voted as player of the match despite being on the losing side. Listen to this week's episode below
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
I'm over the moon – Hull KR's homegrown hero Mikey Lewis celebrates Wembley win
Despite facing a kick that strayed out towards the right touchline, Lewis did not hesitate to boot the two points that ripped the trophy from Warrington's grasp, sealing an attritional 8-6 win and shattering a decades-long hoodoo for the Craven Park club. There is almost no-one for whom victory will have meant more than Lewis, who was born and brought up in the city and has brimmed with passion for the Robins since he came through the ranks, making his debut as an 18-year-old in 2019 and claiming the prestigious Super League Man of Steel award last year. Mikey Lewis lifted Hull KR's first Challenge Cup in 45 years (Richard Sellers/PA) Yet, despite his likely status as a potential match-winner, Lewis, elevated to kicking duties in the absence of Rovers' Cup-tied full-back Arthur Mourgue, revealed it was most definitely not a case of practice makes perfect. Looking dazed after the raucous celebrations that greeted the final hooter just moments after his kick sailed through the posts, Lewis said: 'I don't practice, so it was one of them where I trusted the process and, if I got a good strike on it, I knew it was over straight away. 'We said we can win this game in the 79th minute and that's what we did. I'm over the moon, proud. No-one can ever take this off me now – I'm a Challenge Cup winner and it will be with me for the rest of my life.' Rovers had stood less than two minutes away from more final misery as Warrington entered the final stages with a four-point lead after a first-half try from Josh Thewlis and a superb performance from Marc Sneyd, whose mastery of the slippery conditions made him only the second player to win a third Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match. Lewis, who had kicked a two-point penalty to give his side an early lead, was not at his best as the Super League leaders struggled to make an impression before the dramatic finale which saw Tyrone May's kick missed by Warrington's Aaron Lindop and Tom Davies pounce to slap down the vital try which was awarded after a tense video review. Despite fully intending to bask in the glow of a long-awaited trophy, Lewis stressed the focus will soon shift to building on their breakthrough and finishing the season with more silverware, culminating in the Grand Final in October. Hull KR left it late to edge past Warrington at Wembley (Nigel French/PA) 'I reckon it's going to feel like a bank holiday for the next week or so. We're going to enjoy this moment and then we'll go from there,' added Lewis, whose next engagement was a Sunday trophy parade with the rest of the Rovers players and staff from Craven Park to Hull's city hall. 'We thought it was our time. That was our theme – it's our time now and that's what it was. Hopefully that helps us a lot. We're just going to keep working hard, keep grounded and enjoy it.' Rovers' new era will begin in earnest when they return to Super League action against Catalans Dragons on Friday and captain Elliot Minchella believes the manner of his side's win, despite being second best for the majority of the final, will stand them in good stead. 'We will definitely take a lot of belief out of that,' said Minchella, one of six Rovers winners, including Lewis, who had featured in the matchday 17 for their Wembley defeat to Leigh in 2023. 'We didn't play anywhere near our best, but we found a way to win and the best sides tend to do that to themselves. We'll probably look back and learn loads of things from this match. We made it tough for ourselves, but our resilience, grit and toughness has never been questioned.' Warrington head coach Sam Burgess is also hoping for a boost after a performance in which his side made a mockery of their lowly eighth place in the Super League table. Warrington came up short in a thrilling Challenge Cup final (Richard Sellers/PA) 'I think everyone can see what sort of team we are. Although our form in the league is not where it needs to be, everyone is aware of who we are and what we stand for as a group,' said Burgess. 'There's a lot of pain in there, but we'll take a really positive thing out of it. We have great belief and it'll give us the resolve and determination to attack the second half of the season.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hidden performances and theories supported as cup final stats emerge
Toby King was quietly impressive in defeat at Wembley as he returned from injury (Image: Richard Sellers/PA Wire) AS the sporting saying goes, there is only one stat that really matters – the scoreline. And as we all now know, that all-important figure ended up agonisingly against Warrington Wolves in Saturday's Challenge Cup Final as they saw what would have been a memorable victory snatched away in the dying seconds. Advertisement However, more statistics that have emerged in the aftermath of the game lend weight to the theory touted by Wire boss Sam Burgess and indeed many observers – that the better, more dominant team on the day ended up on the losing side. In total, Warrington were in possession of the ball for 30mins 53secs and of that time, just under half (13mins 41secs) was spent in the Hull KR half. Indeed, they had the ball within 20 metres of the Robins' try line for 6mins 41secs in total. By contrast, Rovers enjoyed 3mins 59secs of ball inside the Wire 20. Their total territory figure for the game was 53 per cent and they actually increased the amount of territory they had in the second half to 55 per cent having been at 51 per cent before the interval while they also edged the completion rate statistics – they finished 83 per cent of their sets compared to KR's 79 per cent. The hidden performances in a brave team effort Marc Sneyd will deservedly get the plaudits in terms of individual displays having won the Lance Todd Trophy for the third time in his career. Advertisement He was clearly the game's standout player but from a Warrington perspective, there were a few other performances that went more under the radar. Upon his return to the side from injury, Toby King again showed how reliable and effective he is in coming away from his own try line – his 194m gained from 22 carries was a figure bettered by only three players from either side who passed the 200m mark. Hull KR winger Tom Davies – the scorer of the game's winning try – led the metre-making charts with 241 ahead of Wire full-back Matt Dufty (235) and his Robins counterpart Jack Broadbent (231). However, King's 89m gained post-contact and six tackle breaks are the highest figure of any player from either side on the day. Advertisement Luke Yates, too, put in a superb display on both sides of the ball as he produced arguably his best performance since joining The Wire midway through last season. The 125m he gained with the ball from 13 carries was the highest of any Wire forward – Ben Currie (117) and Paul Vaughan (115) were just behind him – and only Robins bulldozer Kelepi Tanginoa (132) could boast a better figure among the opposition. In defence, though, he was faultless as he completed 35 tackles without a single miss while none of his tackles were deemed ineffective in Opta's stats. Yates had the highest figure of the three players to enjoy 100 per cent tackle completion rates, with teammate James Harrison (26) and Hull KR's Sauaso Sue (25) being the others. Advertisement Currie and Adam Holroyd jointly topped Wire's tackle charts – both recorded 43 with a single miss – followed by Sam Powell (36 with three misses). For the game as a whole, KR skipper Elliot Minchella led the way with an exceptional 57 tackles while two of his teammates also cleared the 50-tackle mark – Dean Hadley and Jai Whitbread both made 53.
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Willie Peters had faith in Mikey Lewis kick as Hull KR clinch Challenge Cup
Largely out-muscled by a Wire side orchestrated by the imperious Marc Sneyd, Rovers looked set for more Wembley agony as the underdogs entered the final three minutes with a four-point advantage. But after Tom Davies stretched to touch down following an error from Aaron Lindop, it was left to Lewis – handed kicking duties in the absence of the Cup-tied Arthur Mourgue, to nail the two-pointer that sparked raucous celebrations among the red and white hordes behind the post. WHAT A MOMENT! ❤️🏆#UpTheRobins 🔴⚪️ — Hull KR (@hullkrofficial) June 7, 2025 'That was probably the moment when I was the most calm,' insisted Peters, who celebrated wildly with his players – many of whom had been part of their agonising 2023 golden point defeat to Leigh – at the final hooter less than one and a half minutes after his side had nudged back ahead. 'It was a massive moment and I believed he was going to get it because of the belief he has in himself. He's not our number one kicker but I felt really comfortable and confident when he had the ball in his hands because that was his moment.' Peters did not hide from the fact that Rovers had been second best for much of an attritional contest in which Lewis' early penalty looked set to give them a slender half-time lead before Josh Thewlis took advantage of an outrageous ricochet to give his side the lead. Sneyd, who added a superb two points from the touchline and would end the day by becoming only the second player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match in the second half, continued to dominate after the break until Tyrone May's clever kick led to the late, late drama. 'It wasn't the best performance but it was gritty and that's all you need in a Cup final,' added Peters. 'You need to have grit and you need to enjoy discomfort, and they certainly did that. 'They were uncomfortable for long periods, Warrington just kept throwing so much at us and Marc Sneyd was exceptional, but we found a way and I'm so proud of this playing ground and staff. 'The way they won that match today shows the character and the type of players that they are. It's in our DNA, it's who we are. East Hull people are gritty, tough and resilient. We don't do anything easily, it was tough out there but we found a way.' Deflated Warrington head coach Sam Burgess said he could not have asked any more from his side, who controlled the majority of the match and were on the verge of securing their first Wembley triumph since 2019. Burgess, whose side were also beaten by Wigan in last year's final, said: 'You don't always get what you deserve and I don't think we deserved to lose today. 'We controlled the game very well and executed the plan. Unfortunately these things can happen, we were just on the wrong side of things today.' Burgess refused to pin any blame on Lindop, whose failure to properly ground May's late kick let in Davies for the decisive score. Burgess admitted some confusion over the awarding of the try, since replays showed the Warrington winger had appeared to ground the ball with his stomach, but the RFL later clarified that grounding with anything but the hand is only allowed on an offensive play. 'I think he's an amazing young man,' Burgess said of Lindop. 'He's an amazing player and he's got such a bright future, so that's what I think about Aaron. I absolutely love him.' Burgess's side have struggled for much of his second season and went into the game as heavy underdogs, languishing outside the Super League play-off places in eighth place and missing talismanic duo Danny Walker and Matty Ashton through injury. But Burgess said once the raw disappointment had eased, his players would take much from the occasion that would hopefully spark a play-off push. 'We'll move on – suffering and pain and loss and everything like that are really crucial to our development and growth as a group and we're certainly suffering at the minute,' he added. 'There's a lot of pain in there but we'll take a really positive thing out of it as a group. We have great belief and it'll give us the resolve and determination to attack the second half of the season.'
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Willie Peters had faith in Mikey Lewis kick as Hull KR clinch Challenge Cup
Largely out-muscled by a Wire side orchestrated by the imperious Marc Sneyd, Rovers looked set for more Wembley agony as the underdogs entered the final three minutes with a four-point advantage. But after Tom Davies stretched to touch down following an error from Aaron Lindop, it was left to Lewis – handed kicking duties in the absence of the Cup-tied Arthur Mourgue, to nail the two-pointer that sparked raucous celebrations among the red and white hordes behind the post. WHAT A MOMENT! ❤️🏆#UpTheRobins 🔴⚪️ — Hull KR (@hullkrofficial) June 7, 2025 'That was probably the moment when I was the most calm,' insisted Peters, who celebrated wildly with his players – many of whom had been part of their agonising 2023 golden point defeat to Leigh – at the final hooter less than one and a half minutes after his side had nudged back ahead. 'It was a massive moment and I believed he was going to get it because of the belief he has in himself. He's not our number one kicker but I felt really comfortable and confident when he had the ball in his hands because that was his moment.' Peters did not hide from the fact that Rovers had been second best for much of an attritional contest in which Lewis' early penalty looked set to give them a slender half-time lead before Josh Thewlis took advantage of an outrageous ricochet to give his side the lead. Sneyd, who added a superb two points from the touchline and would end the day by becoming only the second player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match in the second half, continued to dominate after the break until Tyrone May's clever kick led to the late, late drama. 'It wasn't the best performance but it was gritty and that's all you need in a Cup final,' added Peters. 'You need to have grit and you need to enjoy discomfort, and they certainly did that. 'They were uncomfortable for long periods, Warrington just kept throwing so much at us and Marc Sneyd was exceptional, but we found a way and I'm so proud of this playing ground and staff. 'The way they won that match today shows the character and the type of players that they are. It's in our DNA, it's who we are. East Hull people are gritty, tough and resilient. We don't do anything easily, it was tough out there but we found a way.' Deflated Warrington head coach Sam Burgess said he could not have asked any more from his side, who controlled the majority of the match and were on the verge of securing their first Wembley triumph since 2019. Burgess, whose side were also beaten by Wigan in last year's final, said: 'You don't always get what you deserve and I don't think we deserved to lose today. 'We controlled the game very well and executed the plan. Unfortunately these things can happen, we were just on the wrong side of things today.' Burgess refused to pin any blame on Lindop, whose failure to properly ground May's late kick let in Davies for the decisive score. Burgess admitted some confusion over the awarding of the try, since replays showed the Warrington winger had appeared to ground the ball with his stomach, but the RFL later clarified that grounding with anything but the hand is only allowed on an offensive play. 'I think he's an amazing young man,' Burgess said of Lindop. 'He's an amazing player and he's got such a bright future, so that's what I think about Aaron. I absolutely love him.' Burgess's side have struggled for much of his second season and went into the game as heavy underdogs, languishing outside the Super League play-off places in eighth place and missing talismanic duo Danny Walker and Matty Ashton through injury. But Burgess said once the raw disappointment had eased, his players would take much from the occasion that would hopefully spark a play-off push. 'We'll move on – suffering and pain and loss and everything like that are really crucial to our development and growth as a group and we're certainly suffering at the minute,' he added. 'There's a lot of pain in there but we'll take a really positive thing out of it as a group. We have great belief and it'll give us the resolve and determination to attack the second half of the season.'
