(at Wembley, 2.30pm, live on BBC1)

ST HELENS are appearing in their 21st Challenge Cup final and have won the Cup 11 times. Only Wigan have a better record with 17 wins in 28 finals.

Saints won in 1956, 1961, 1966, 1972, 1976, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. The first seven wins and last year's were at Wembley.

They were losers in 1897, 1915, 1930, 1953, 1978, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2002. Six of the defeats were at Wembley.

HULL are appearing in their 14th final (plus two replays), having won only three. They won the Cup in 1914, 1982 (after a replay) and 2005.

Of those, only the 1982 drawn final was at Wembley. They were losers in 1908, 1909, 1910 (after replay), 1922, 1923, 1959, 1960, 1980, 1983 and 1985. The last five were at Wembley.

HULL were the last team to beat St Helens in the Challenge Cup, winning 34-8 in the 2005 semi-final at Huddersfield.

Since then, St Helens have won 14 successive Cup ties, including the final twice. Only four players have appeared in all 14 ties: Adrian Gardner, Francis Meli, Keiron Cunningham and Jon Wilkin.

HULL last won the Cup in 2005 when they beat Leeds 25-24 at Cardiff. Of Hull's winning team on that day, five players are expected to be involved in this year's final: Kirk Yeaman, Gareth Raynor, Ewan Dowes, Gareth Carvell and Jamie Thackray.

HULL'S biggest defeat in the Challenge Cup was a 54-8 fifth round defeat at St Helens in 1997.

RICHARD AGAR will be the first to follow in his father's footsteps as the coach of a Challenge Cup final team at Wembley. Hull's coach will be hoping to achieve the same upset his father Allan managed in 1983 when he steered Featherstone Rovers to a shock 14-12 defeat of Hull.

KEIRON CUNNINGHAM of St Helens is the only player in either team to have won at the old Wembley Stadium.

He was on the winning Saints team in 1996 and 1997 against Bradford Bulls on both occasions.

Cunningham's club colleague Lee Gilmour is the only other player from either side to have played at the old stadium, being a loser with Wigan Warriors against Sheffield Eagles in 1998.

Cunningham will be playing in his eighth Challenge Cup final altogether. He was a winner with Saints in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007 and a loser in 2002.

SEAN LONG is in with a chance of extending the record of having won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match three times. Long won the trophy when St Helens beat Bradford in 2001, Wigan in 2004 and Huddersfield in 2006.

Other players from this year's final to have won the Lance Todd Trophy are St Helens' Leon Pryce and Paul Wellens, who shared the award last year against Catalans.

Previous Cup meetings

1925-26 (2nd round) St Helens 7, Hull 0

1935-36 (1) Hull 16, St Helens 6

1960-61 (semi) St Helens 26, Hull 9

1968-69 (1) Hull 3, St Helens 13

1975-76 (1) Hull 3, St Helens 5

1980-81 (2) St Helens 5, Hull 3

1983-84 (2) St Helens 24, Hull 14

1989-90 (2) Hull 12, St Helens 24

1997 (5) St Helens 54, Hull 8

2004 (6) St Helens 31, Hull 26

2005 (semi) Hull 34, St Helens 8

Final facts

Team news: Hull have omitted teenage hooker Danny Houghton from their 19-man squad and will make a late call on two players from Tommy Lee, Adam Dykes and Richard Horne. Motu Tony (knee), Richard Whiting (broken leg) and Paul King (broken foot) are all missing. St Helens are without prop Jason Cayless (knee) and have doubts over Maurie Fa'savalu (hamstring).

Key battle: Shaun Berrigan v Keiron Cunningham.

Betting: Hull have a 16-point start on the handicap coupon.

Referee: Steve Ganson.

Video referee: Ashley Klein.

How they got there

Hull

4th round: Rochdale 5, Hull 42

5th round: Widnes 18, Hull 32

Quarter-final: Bradford 16, Hull 22

Semi-final: Hull 32, Wakefield 24

St Helens

4th round: St Helens 56, London Sk 0

5th round: St Helens 40, Warrington 34

Quarter-final: Hull KR 18, Hull 24

Semi-final: S t Helens 26, Leeds 16