2019 Challenge Cup final explained

Year:2019
Challenge Cup Final
Home: Warrington Wolves
Away: St Helens
Home Abbr: WAR
Away Abbr: STH
Home Half1:12
Home Half2:6
Home Total:18
Away Half1:0
Away Half2:4
Away Total:4
Date:24 August 2019
Location:London, United Kingdom
Mom Title:Lance Todd Trophy
Mom:Daryl Clark
Anthem Title:God Save The Queen and Abide with Me
Anthem:Ricardo Panela
Referee:Robert Hicks
Attendance:62,717
Network:BBC One
Tournaments:Finals
Last:2018
Next:2020

The 2019 Challenge Cup Final was the deciding game of the Rugby Football League's 2019 Challenge Cup competition, the 118th staging of the competition. The match was held at Wembley Stadium in London on 24 August 2019 with kick off at 15:00. The final was contested by the Warrington Wolves and St Helens, the first time the two sides have met in a major final.[1] [2]

Background

The two sides have never met in a Challenge Cup final before. It had been 11 years since St Helens last won in the Challenge Cup Final, and despite final appearances in 2016 and 2018, Warrington have not triumphed since 2012.

Warrington came into the game on the back of five straight defeats in Super League, and with being defeated by the Catalans Dragons in last season's final. On the other hand, the Saints were leading the way at the top of the table, losing just three games all season, 2two of which came at the London Broncos (one of those games going to golden point extra time), with the other, away to Catalans. They had not lost a home game so far in the season.

Route to the final

Warrington Wolves

Warrington escaped the sixth round with a narrow 26–24 victory over rivals Wigan. Warrington then faced Hull KR in the quarter finals winning 28 points to 22. Warrington's semi-final opposition was also a Kingston-upon-Hull side, this time Hull F.C., to which they secured their most comfortable win en route to the final.

RoundOppositionScore
scope=row style="text-align:center"6th Wigan Warriors (H)26–24
scope=row style="text-align:center"QF Hull KR (A)28–22
scope=row style="text-align:center"SF Hull F.C. (N)22–14

St Helens

St Helens faced Super League side Huddersfield Giants in the sixth round, beating them 22–16. A 48–10 thrashing of Wakefield Trinity in the quarter finals saw the Saints progress to the semis where they faced Championship side Halifax and getting a comfortable victory to progress to the final.

RoundOppositionScore
scope=row style="text-align:center"6th Huddersfield Giants (A)22–16
scope=row style="text-align:center"QF Wakefield Trinity (H)48–10
scope=row style="text-align:center"SF Halifax (N)26–2

Match details

Teams

Warrington WolvesPositionSt Helens
1 Stefan Ratchford23 Lachlan Coote
2 Tom Lineham2 Tommy Makinson
3 Bryson Goodwin3 Kevin Naiqama
18 Toby King4 Mark Percival
5 Josh Charnley5 Regan Grace
11 Ben Currie1 Jonny Lomax
15 Declan Patton6 Theo Fages
8 Chris Hill8 Alex Walmsley
9 Daryl Clark9 James Roby
10 Mike Cooper10 Luke Thompson
13 Ben Murdoch-Masila11 Zeb Taia
12 Jack Hughes17 Dominique Peyroux
14 Jason Clark15 Morgan Knowles
19 Sitaleki Akauola
17 Joe Philbin
23 Matt Davis20 Jack Ashworth
22 Jake Mamo12 Joseph Paulo
Steve PriceCoachJustin Holbrook

Notes and References

  1. News: Willacy . Gavin . The Challenge Cup final had it all: glee, gloom, globalism ... and gross ads . The Guardian . 27 August 2019.
  2. Web site: Challenge Cup final: Warrington Wolves beat St Helens 18-4 . 22 August 2019 . 12 January 2021 . BBC Sport.