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The Leeds Rhinos smashed Hull KR in the Challenge Cup final, winning 50-0. Winger Tom Briscoe was man of the match, having scored five tries for the day.
English rugby league’s most important game comes to Wembley for the Challenge Cup final where Leeds Rhinos take on Hull KR. Will the Rhinos defend the Cup they won last year or can the Robins upset the odds after a 30-year wait? Join The Roar from 11:30pm (AEST) to find out.
Super League’s table-topping team and winners of the 2014 Challenge Cup are back at Wembley. A talented side with experience to burn, Leeds have only lost six games all year, have amazing depth, and are heavy favourites.
Zad Hardaker is on fire, Kallum Watkins has been in thrilling form and Adam Cuthbertson has been destroying teams with his offloads.
Cuthbertson only arrived from the NRL at the start of this year but has been awesome in Super League. The ball-playing front-rower from Avalon could even feature for England in the Test series against New Zealand in a few months. Here he is talking about the final.
Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield, along with veteran props Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai are all hanging them up at the end of 2015, and will want to finish their Rhinos careers on a high.
Leeds know how to win the big games, have been impressive all year and their only injury concern is hooker Paul Aiton, but they have good cover in that position with Rob Burrow and Sinfield able to fill in.
All the signs point to a Leeds win, with the Rhinos already beating Hull KR twice this season in Super League.
While the Cup holders have had few bumps in their season it’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Robins.
They’ve had some great results – beating Saints and Wigan in the league, and Wigan and Warrington in the Cup – but also some dire ones. They’ve been terribly inconsistent and have had to contend with a bad injury count.
Influential half Terry Campese is out for the season and their forward stocks have been decimated at times. The team’s other vital playmaker, Albert Kelly, has been playing on one leg for some time but has been picked for the game.
The Robins, who have not played in a final for three decades, have a younger team with less big-game experience. But they’re also capable of upsetting more fancied rivals and have some exciting, in-form players to call on. Josh Mantellato has been a great acquisition, Kieran Dixon is a livewire and Shaun Lunt is a quality hooker. John Boudebza has also great around the ruck.
A few years ago Mantellato was playing for Wyong Roos and was working as a personal trainer. Now he’s at Wembley playing in front of 80,000 people. Here is the Central Coast product having a chat before the match.
If Hull KR can knock off Leeds then it would be one of the biggest shocks in Cup history.
For Australian viewers there are plenty of familiar faces. Former NRL players Joel Moon, Brett Delaney, Mitch Achurch, Mitch Garbutt and Cuthbertson could line up for Leeds.
Apart from Kelly and former Knights winger Mantellato, Hull KR has Dane Tilse, Tony Puletua, Ken Sio, Maurice Blair and Mitch Allgood in their ranks.
A crowd of around 80,000 is expected to fill Wembley for this showpiece event.
Join The Roar from 11.30pm (AEST) for all the action.
Prediction: Leeds by 10 points.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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