The last five rugby league visits to the national stadium have included one of the West Yorkshire sides, with Leeds’ men winning the Challenge Cup behind closed doors in 2020 and their women finishing second in each of the previous two seasons. Tigers were defeated in the 2021 men’s final, although Wakefield Trinity won the 1895 Cup a year earlier. The 2022 Final was held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Two ex-Rhinos players are in position to play for Hull KR in tomorrow’s men’s Challenge Cup final, while another might be on duty for opponents Warrington Wolves. Rovers are led by loose attacker Elliot Minchella, who made six first-team appearances for the Rhinos in 2013-14.
Robins outside back Jack Broadbent, another Rhinos academy graduate, has 22 appearances over three seasons beginning in 2020. He joined Castleford from Leeds before going to Hull KR last year. Danny Ward, the East Yorkshire side’s assistant coach, was a Challenge Cup runner-up with the Rhinos in Cardiff in 2003 and 2005, and he also had a brief stint as team manager at Castleford two years ago. Danny Richardson is a former Castleford player, and Dean Hadley, James Batchelor, Jai Whitbread, and Kelepi Tanginoa have all played for Wakefield.
On the other hand, Warrington forward James Harrison was on loan at Leeds from Featherstone Rovers during the Covid-hit 2020 season. Jordy Crowther, who previously played for Wakefield, is also a member of Wolves’ squad.
Six former Leeds players are among the initial squads announced for the 1895 Cup final against Featherstone Rovers and York Knights. Despite suffering a hamstring injury in last Sunday’s Championship triumph at Barrow Raiders, winger Derrell Olpherts has been named to Rovers’ initial squad. Olpherts played for Castleford at Wembley Stadium four years ago and was a non-playing member of the Trinity squad that defeated Sheffield Eagles in the lower levels last season.
Ex-Rhino prop King Vuniyayawa is also in the running for Featherstone. Rovers’ Ben Reynolds and Ryan Hampshire had previously played for Castleford and Wakefield, respectively, while Brad Day, Gadwin Springer, and Calum Turner are former Tigers. Paul Cooke, the Rovers’ coach, also played for Wakefield.
York’s lineup includes former Leeds players Paul McShane, Jordan Thompson, Oli Field, and Kieran Hudson, who is managed by former Trinity manager Mark Applegarth. McShane played alongside Olpherts for the Tigers at Wembley Stadium in 2021, and Thompson and Hudson are also former Castleford players.
York, on the other hand, will be missing former Leeds and Wakefield back Ben Jones-Bishop, who is cup-tied having playing for Sheffield earlier in the competition. Jacob Gannon, a Knights forward, is the brother of Leeds’ Morgan Gannon.
Amy Hardcastle, Caitlin Casey, and Shona Hoyle have been picked to St Helens’ Women’s Challenge Cup squad against Wigan Warriors. Hardcastle and Casey played for Leeds in their Wembley defeats to Saints in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and Hoyle was a member of the Rhinos last year.
Leave a Reply