Challenge Cup Final: Steve Michaels now has the chance to eclipse Joel Moon

The Australian winger was overlooked for the first game of the campaign and had a spell out of Lee Radford’s side later in the year, too.

However, he has played the last dozen fixtures and, with 12 tries in 23 games this term, is relishing the chance to face Warrington Wolves in tomorrow’s Challenge Cup final.

“It sort of hurt me a little bit earlier in the year not playing and maybe made me determined when I got that chance to just give it all,” said the player, who joined from Gold Coast Titans in 2014.

“I’m loving it now. Luckily, I’m not just stuck on the wing and the team’s full of strike power.

“I do feel lucky and I went to the final last year as Leeds Rhinos’ Joel Moon’s my best mate.

“He sorted me out some tickets and I was supporting him as they beat Hull KR.

“He’d done it all before there and he was rapped that I’m now getting the chance to play at Wembley; he’s going to watch me this year, which is pretty cool.

“I’d love to be a part of it all Saturday. We want to be remembered for the win, though.

“No-one remembers the losers at Wembley – although they probably will here as Hull have not won there yet! We want to get that monkey off our back.”

Hull have lost seven times at the national stadium, drawing against Widnes in 1982 but winning the replay at Elland Road.

Michaels, 28, hopes to help eradicate that record and will be coming up against a familiar face in Warrington’s Matty Russell, the Scotland winger.

“He actually had a year at Gold Coast when I was there so I know Matty,” he explained.

“He would have been 18 or 19. We were battling for spots against each other, doing our best. He is pretty electric. Hopefully, it’ll be so loud on Saturday we won’t be able to have much of a chat.”

Michaels, meanwhile, remains unsure of his future; he is out of contract this year but, despite Hull fans singing weekly imploring Radford to re-sign him, looks certain to move elsewhere.

“It is nice,” he conceded. “I love the fans here and the chants they come up with which is something that we don’t have in Australia. It definitely gives me a buzz and gives me a good laugh as well.

“But it’s probably unlikely I’ll be here next year, to be honest. They have some young boys coming through and I’m a quota spot.

“If there’s something out there (Super League) I’d like to stay in the UK. Either that or finish off back home.”