Challenge Cup 2013: Breaking Down Remaining Fixtures for Tournament

So after 93 matches involving more than 100 community-level and professional standard clubs, there are two fixtures and three teams remaining in the Challenge Cup—Europe’s premier European rugby league tournament.

Following Wigan’s 70-0 trouncing of the London Broncos, it now lies with Warrington to stand up to the the pressure as reigning champions and leave their mark on the cup once more.

Ahead of the final two matches of the competition, read on for a breakdown of not just the last semi-final but a predicted finale too.

Who: Hull FC vs. Warrington Wolves

When: Sunday, July 28, 13:00 p.m. ET/18:00 p.m. BST

Where: John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield

As current titleholders, Warrington have a certain expectation to live up to on Sunday, especially given the way that they dealt with the current Super League leaders, Huddersfield Giants, at the quarter-final stage.

The Wire are well prepared for this weekend’s clash having won their last seven league fixtures on the trot, while Hull are in far different shape after losing their last five.

Of course, domestic form can only be taken into so much account, but that won’t stop the fact that the Wolves head into this semi as very heavy favourites.

For the hosts, one massive absence is Ben Crooks, the 20-year-old marvel who, as it was announced via the Hull Daily Mail Twitter account, will miss the remainder of the season through injury.

As such, Hull are far less prepared than their opponents in an attacking sense and will be expecting the likes of Joe Arundel and Tom Lineham to step up in his absence.

 

Key Player: Joel Monaghan

As he proved in the semi-final triumph over Huddersfield, Joel Monaghan is the man with the ability to set any Warrington match alight.

Whether playing off the wing or from a more central position, the Australian international has impressed greatly during his time in England and is currently one of the leading try scorers in the 2013 Super League campaign.

However, it’s not just in attack that Monaghan poses a great presence; he works hard to track back and set the platform for counter-attacks time and time again in defence, making him an all-round asset to have and a player capable of pushing Wolves into the final almost single-handedly.

Who: Wigan Warriors vs. TBC

When: Saturday, August 24, 10:00 a.m. ET/15:00 p.m. BST

Where: Wembley Stadium, London

While they may have lost top Super League ranking to Huddersfield, Wigan Warriors are looking good to bag silverware of another kind following their 70-0 win over London Broncos this weekend.

Led by the likes of Josh Charnley, Sam Tomkins, Pat Richards and a raft of other stars, Shaun Wane’s side glided into this season’s Challenge Cup final in style.

By all accounts, it’s likely to be Warrington that the Warriors face at Wembley in late August, and what an encounter it promises to be.

Sidled next to one another in the Super League standings, it’s only a few degrees that will separate the pair should they meet—that slightly missed tackle, an unintentional tap of the whitewash.

Given the Wolves’ victory over Huddersfield, there’s not a final meeting one could hope for more than Wigan versus Warrington, and it would be a shock to see Hull make it there instead.