Wigan Warriors vs. Widnes Vikings Winner Should Be Challenge Cup Favourite

In the climactic conclusion of this weekend’s Challenge Cup quarterfinals, Monday evening’s feast for the rugby league masses sees Super League leaders Wigan Warriors play host to their lower division rivals Widnes Vikings.

Given that Wigan have already overcome Dennis Betts’ men on two occasions this season, the home team undoubtedly enter the fixture as favourites to come out on top of not just this match, but the entire tournament.

The Warriors are utterly deserving of their perch atop the Super League pile, and have been magnificent all season long. Josh Charnley and Sam Tomkins have combined for 48 league tries between the pair of them, and have been mercurial—almost unstoppable—in the great majority of their outings, especially when playing together.

Unfortunately for Widnes, both will line up at the DW Stadium in their quarterfinal match, Tomkins having recently recovered from injury to resume his campaign.

Following Sunday’s quarterfinal meeting between Warrington Wolves and Huddersfield Giants, a game that saw the former canter to the win, the Challenge Cup semi-final draw revealed the next round of pictures.

Warrington, the only other team that seems likely to pose a threat to the title, will face Hull FC, while Super League’s basement side, London Broncos, are matched against the victor of Monday’s game.

By that logic, Warrington would appear to be as good as in the final, having already beaten a side this weekend that are, on paper at least, superior to Hull’s pedigree.

However, no assumptions shall be cast in a knockout competition of this kind, with anything a possibility. And that’s precisely the kind of attitude that the Vikings will take as their modus operandi as they head into a fixture which pits them as huge underdogs.

That being said, it’s precisely for that reason why Widnes can be considered favourites should they do the unthinkable and emerge triumphant against Shaun Wane’s Warriors. After all, if a minnow side can’t feel confident of causing an upset in a tournament like the Challenge Cup, when can they?

Currently with just one win in their last three league games, Wigan could be judged as a vulnerable giant, although those games did fall in conjunction with a raft of injuries to the squad.

It’s safe to say that either Wigan or Widnes are capable of overcoming the Broncos, the next opponent in the competition for whoever makes it through. It seems only a question now of whether it’s a batch of Warriors or Vikings that’ll make the final.

In the slight chance that Widnes do overpower their hosts on Monday evening, who’s to say a Warrington scalp is out of their reach?

In any case, it’s looking as if it’ll be an all-W Wembley final in August, with either Wigan or Widnes looking probable to face a determined Warrington in what promises to be something special.