Once place remained at Wembley on the 12th August, a three o’clock appointment to face the Leigh Leopards in the Challenge Cup final and it would be either the cup kings Wigan Warriors, or underdogs Hull KR who would be taking it.
Wigan are currently third in the table after losing just one game in their last seven, while Hull KR are sixth on the back of just three wins in their last seven. The bookies fancied that it would be the Wigan Warriors travelling to Wembley to face near neighbours Leigh and the bookies agreed as they gave the Robins an eight-point start on the coupon.
We were set for the best game of the weekend.
Hull KR had major disruption pre-kick-off with Ryan Hall deciding he wasn’t fit enough to take the field, Mikey Lewis in at full back with Ethan Ryan on to the wing.
It was an explosive opening from both sides, Wigan edging position and possession as they looked to secure an early advantage in a great atmosphere.
On their first attack of the game, Hull KR went from the back of the scrum after a Wigan knock-on with Louis Senior taking the pass from Mikey Lews to dive over in the right corner. Rowan Milnes was unable to add the conversion from the touchline.
Hull KR were defending with everything that they had got under a massive Wigan onslaught, and they kept their line intact until the twenty-second minute when a moment of Jai Field magic saw him weave through the KR defence to score from twenty-five metres. Harry Smith added the conversion from wide, the Warriors into a narrow two-point lead.
When Kai Pearce-Paul spilled the ball just inside his own half, it handed the initiative back to KR but the Wigan defence held firm.
A Shaun Kenny-Dowall interception on his own line saw the old-timer make it to halfway before he was hauled down. KR used the ball well and forced a Wigan drop out, but it came to nought.
Inside the final minute a KR ball steal cost the Robins a penalty and after the hooter Smith kicked the penalty goal to double the Wigan lead at the interval to 8-4, the game was still within the balance and had been a belter of a game between tow dedicated sides.
With one minute on the second half clock Joe Shorrocks contacted with the shoulder to the head of Mikely Lewis, the Wigan man was red carded and the Warriors down to twelve men for the rest of the game.
The twelve men didn’t let the sending off get them down and redoubled their efforts. Shaun Kenny-Dowall was sin-binned for an obstruction on Bevan French close to the KR line as he chased a kick, Smith kicked the resulting penalty in off the far upright for a six-point lead.
The stress levels were sky high, on field and in the stands as Kenny-Dowall re-emerged from the sin bin.
Just after the hour mark Ethan Ryan was on hand to take the final pass after a Kenny-Dowall offload into the hands of Matt Parcell allowed a pass to the winger to dive in at the corner. Brad Schneider kicked the touchline conversion to level the scores at 10-10 with sixteen minutes remaining.
The game was breathless, and on seventy-five an attempted drop goal from French went to Hull KR hands and the opportunity had passed. When Field was caught with the ball on the last tackle on the halfway line it bought KR an golden opportunity but Schneider dropped the ball when he should have taken the drop goal attempt.
As the hooter sounded for eighty minutes, the game entered sudden death golden point.
Wigan had first use of the football but KR kept them in their own half. On KR´s first use they set up for the drop goal and Schneider smacked the ball between the uprights from forty-five metres. Hull KR joining the Leigh Leopards in the final that now one predicted and no one expected.
All credit to two great teams who played out a sensational semi-final and provided eighty-two minutes of top-drawer entertainment in the best of the six semi-finals. There is no doubt that Wigan paid the price for the sending off, but they dug deep and had the chance to win the game in normal time. All credit to the Robins, off to Wembley for the first time since they lost in 2015.
It will be one hell of a day out for Leigh and KR fans.
Wigan Warriors: Field (T), Miski, King, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith (2G), Ellis, O’Neill, Byrne, Isa, Farrell, Smithies. Subs: Pearce-Paul, Shorrocks (SO on 41), Mago, Hill. 18th Man: Nsemba.
Hull KR: Lewis, Senior (T), Opacic, Kenny-Dowall (SB on 49), Ryan (T), Milnes, Schneider (G), Kennedy, Litten, King, Batchelor, Linnett, Minchella. Subs: Parcell, Storton, Keinhorst, Luckley. 18th Man:?.
Half-Time: 8-4.
Full-Time: 10-10. Golden Point: 10-11.
Score Progression: 0-4, 4-4, 6-4, 8-4 : HT: (SO), (SB), 10-4, 10-8, 10-10 :FT: 10-11 : GP.
Lead Exchanges: Hull KR – Square – Wigan – Square – Hull KR.
Referee: Liam Moore.
