The sixth round of the Challenge Cup was drawn on Sunday night, introducing last year’s top eight Super League teams into the draw.
That means 11 Super League sides and four Championship sides entered the draw alongside third-tier York City Knights.
Leigh Centurions caused the upset of the last round by knocking out Super League side Salford Red Devils, and they will really fancy their chances of making the last eight as they were drawn away to Super League bottom club Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.
The Wildcats have lost eight straight Super League games and are struggling with injuries, while Championship leaders Leigh have won all of their matches this season and are on a winning run of 21 games. They will go into this game as slight favourites and it will take a big effort from the Wildcats to get over the top.
There are three all-Super League ties, with Wigan Warriors entertaining Hull Kingston Rovers, Hull FC hosting Castleford Tigers and cup holders Leeds Rhinos at home against Huddersfield Giants.
The Warriors will be looking to gain revenge for an early-season Super League defeat at Hull KR, but we long-term Rovers fans recall beating Wigan away from home on our run to the 1980 Challenge Cup final victory over Hull FC. We will be keeping hold of that for the next few weeks.
Castleford got to Wembley for the first time in 22 years in 2014 and the tie at Hull will be a humdinger. These two had multiple Challenge Cup semi-final battles back in the ’80s with Hull usually coming out on top, but the Tigers will definitely fancy their chances as FC are having another under-achieving year.
Huddersfield knocked Leeds out of the competition two years ago and have a very good record against the Rhinos over the last couple of years. However the home draw will make Leeds favourites and in their current form the Giants will have to pull a special performance out of the bag to progress.
Super League sides Warrington Wolves, Widnes Vikings and Catalans Dragons all play Championship opposition, with the Wolves travelling to Dewsbury Rams, the Vikings entertaining Batley Bulldogs (who are coached by two time Challenge Cup winning coach John Kear), and Featherstone Rovers making the long trip to the South of France – something their fans will really look forward to.
The final tie sees 12-time Challenge Cup winners St Helens host third-tier League One side York City Knights.
It is a shame that no lower league sides were drawn together to guarantee a non-Super League side in the last eight but that’s the luck of the draw.
The only realistic chance of avoiding a complete Super League last eight is for Leigh Centurions to take their great form to Wakefield and beat them – which is a very strong possibility. Also, I have a feeling that my Hull KR side are going to win at Wigan – something we haven’t done since 2009 – you heard it here first!
The ties will be held on the weekend of May 15-17.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Thanks for that. I often wonder whether Australia and New Zealand could support some kind of Challenge Cup. I'm a fan of a straight-forward knockout tournament and I often wonder whether Australia and New Zealand could ever pull off their own version of the Challenge Cup.
Andy Sharpe
Roar Guru
Gate receipts are split 50/50 for Challenge Cup games plus there will be prize money which will be approx. £10,000 for the 5th round losers!!! So, even though there will be a smaller than normal home crowd, York will probably earn around £20-25,000 which is a massive amount of money to a club like York.
Andy Sharpe
Roar Guru
Apparently the Tomkins signing was helped by the not yet approved Marquee Player allowance - how that work's I don't know but it appears that it is coming in - I don't agree with it personally but it depends how it is to be used. If it is all about the rich clubs buying the best names from Down Under and stifling young British talent then it is a no go for me - if it is used to keep the best talent in SL rather than see them go to the NRL or RU then fine - but you will always get cases where players choose challenge over money. I agree SA - if England wins the World Cup - huge boost.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Money stoushes tend to go to the one with the bigger wallet. If Koukash is willing to pay, and can convince other clubs to not go broke doing so, then good luck to them. However, the biggest guarantee for the code over there - I think - is for England to win the World Cup...
Muzz
Guest
Paging Sleiman What's this i hear about little brother(Super League) introducing a marquee allowance with the view to start poaching some of our elite players?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
How does the 'payday' work in the Challenge Cup?
Tripehound
Guest
After beating Salford in the last round this away trip to Wakefield is a good test of Leigh's SL credentials, they'll be looking for a result to show they're up to it and it will serve them well when the division split starts in June. York have got a nice little pay day and their players can look forward to the experience of playing a top side in a top stadium. Fingers crossed for Hull KR, beating Wigan at the DW would be an upset but not impossible.
Jason Hosken
Roar Guru
Haha. They'll probably all look the same by then.
Andy Sharpe
Roar Guru
Maybe when they are 45!!!!!
Jason Hosken
Roar Guru
Can the Dewsbury Rams entice the Burgess brothers back for one last hurrah!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
York City Knights.... Go the third-tier!